Patient-directed reminders to improve preventive care in general practice for patients with type 2 diabetes : a proof of concept

Background and objectives: Preventive care in general practice is fundamental to managing the Australian diabetes epidemic. Recommended preventive care is nonetheless underperformed. The aim of this pilot study was to demonstrate proof of concept that pre-consultation patient-directed reminders could improve preventive care in general practice. Methods: Over two weeks, four general practices used a special software tool to generate reminder sheets listing recommended checks for a subset of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The sheets were given to patients before their consultations. The number of checks performed was compared for patients who did and did not receive reminders. General practitioners (GPs) were interviewed about the reminders and chronic disease management. Results: Patients who received reminders had more recommended checks performed than those who did not receive reminders. GPs found the reminders useful but suggested that broader system changes are required. Discussion: Pre-consultation patient-directed reminders could potentially be an effective tool to increase preventive care for patients with T2DM in general practice.