Article Text
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Implications for practice and research
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Care provided by diabetes nurse specialists to uncomplicated patients with diabetes was not inferior to physician care, in terms of patient quality of life and expenditures.
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Care patterns were not equal between study groups; diabetes nurse specialists followed a preset protocol and had referral limitations.
Context
Diabetes is economically burdensome worldwide. Treating diabetes and preventing its complications cost at least US$465 billion in 2011, translating to 11% of total healthcare expenditures in adults.1 Despite the overwhelming costs of diabetes, overall care remains undesirable. Programmes demonstrating reduction in diabetes-related healthcare costs, while resulting in positive outcomes, will be important to replicate. …
Footnotes
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Competing interests None.