Electronic Health Records as Valuable Data Sources in the Health Care Quality Improvement Process.

Background: In North Karelia, Finland, the regional electronic health records (EHRs) enable flexible data retrieval and area-level analyses. The aim of this study was to assess the early detection of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the region and to evaluate the performed activities in order to improve the processes between the years 2012 and 2017.

Methods: Patients with T2D were identified from the EHRs using the codes registered during any visit to either primary or specialized care.

The usefulness of small-area-based socioeconomic characteristics in assessing the treatment outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients: a register-based mixed-effect study.

Background: Assessment of the differences in the outcomes of care by socioeconomic status (SES) is beneficial for both the efficient targeting of health care services and to decrease health inequalities. This study compares the effects of three patient-based SES predictors (earned income, educational attainment, employment status) with three small-area-based SES predictors (median income, educational attainment, proportion of the unemployed) on the treatment outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients.

Methods: Mixed-effect modeling was applied to analyse how SES factors affect the treatment outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients.

Outcomes of Secondary Prevention among Coronary Heart Disease Patients in a High-Risk Region in Finland.

Despite comprehensive national treatment guidelines, goals for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) have not been sufficiently met everywhere in Finland. We investigated the recorded risk factor rates of CHD and their spatial differences in North Karelia Hospital District, which has a very high cardiovascular burden, in order to form a general view of the state of secondary prevention in a high-risk region. Appropriate disease codes of CHD-diagnoses and coding for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were used to identify from the electronic patient records the patient group eligible for secondary prevention.

Do the classification of areas and distance matter to the assessment results of achieving the treatment targets among type 2 diabetes patients?

Background: Type 2 diabetes is a major health concern all over the world. The prevention of diabetes is important but so is well-balanced diabetes care. Diabetes care can be influenced by individual and neighborhood socio-economic factors and geographical accessibility to health care services.