Measuring the quality of diabetes care for older american indians and alaska natives.

OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the quality of diabetes care for older American Indians and Alaska Natives. METHODS We analyzed the Indian Health Service Diabetes Care and Outcomes Audit to determine whether completion of indicators of diabetes care differed as a function of age and whether additional patient and program factors were also associated with completion of the majority of the indicators. RESULTS Completion rates varied by age group, with significantly lower rates seen among the youngest and oldest. Patient diabetes education and duration of diabetes were most strongly associated with the completion of the majority of these indicators. CONCLUSIONS Further studies are needed to determine effective interventions, including diabetes education, to improve the quality of diabetes care in the youngest and oldest age groups.