Is diabetes management in primary care improving clinical outcomes?  A study in Qatar.There has been little research into the effectiveness of primary-care diabetes clinics in the Middle East.  This study in Qatar compared patient outcomes at a primary-care facility with a dedicated diabetes clinic and one without.  Using a cross-sectional method, data on demographics, diabetes status and 6 clinical outcomes of diabetes care were collected from the records of patients who visited the clinics during 2012.  Diabetes management in both facilities improved clinical outcomes over the 1-year observation period.  The mean total cholesterol of patients attending the special clinic (n = 102) decreased significantly from 4.66 to 4.27 mmol/dL and LDL cholesterol from 3.42 to 3.22 mmol/dL.  The LDL cholesterol of patients receiving standard care (n = 108) reduced significantly from 3.41 to 3.22 mmol/dL and HDL cholesterol increased from 0.83 to 0.87 mmol/dL.  Inter-provider comparisons indicated that the outcomes in the facility with a diabetes clinic were not superior to those in the facility with standard care.
C