Absence of Disparities in the Quality of Primary Diabetes Care for South Asians and Chinese in an Urban Canadian Setting

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To examine whether quality of diabetes care is equitable for South Asian and Chinese patients in an urban Canadian setting. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Process and intermediate measures of quality of care were compared between 246 South Asians, 170 Chinese, and 431 patients from the general population with type 2 diabetes selected from 45 family physicians’ practices. RESULTS A total of 61% of Chinese achieved A1C ≤7.0% versus 45% of South Asians and 49% of the general population (P < 0.05). They were also more likely to achieve LDL cholesterol ≤2.0 mmol/L, while South Asians were more likely to achieve blood pressure ≤130/80. There was only one significant process of care deficiency: fewer foot examinations among South Asians (34 vs. 49% for the general population, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Quality of diabetes care in a Canadian urban setting was equitable, with ethnic minorities somewhat more likely to achieve recommended targets than the general population.