Improving the quality of diabetes care in general practice

Objective: The evidence treatment gap for patients with type 2 diabetes. Design: A summary of convenience sample of seven general practices. Setting: Metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia. Participants: 561 patients of general practices (75% from rural general practices). Main outcome measures: Demographic data, duration of diabetes, diabetes complications, HbA1c and lipid levels, blood pressure and score on PHQ‐9. Results: Patients with depression show more severe, progressive and intensively treated diabetes. The prevalence of depression in diabetes is about twice that of the general population. Conclusion: Australian guidelines for diabetes should recommend screening for depression.