Australian general practitioners' perspectives on integrating specialist diabetes care with primary care: qualitative study.

Background: Improving the coordination and integration of health services is recognised nationally and internationally as a key strategy for improving the quality of diabetes care. The Australian Diabetes Alliance Program (DAP) is an integrated care model implemented in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), New South Wales (NSW), in which endocrinologists and diabetes educators collaborate with primary care teams via case-conferencing, practice performance review, and education sessions. The objective of this study was to report on general practitioners' (GPs) perspectives on DAP and whether the program impacts on their skills, knowledge, and approach in delivering care to adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

Survival at 10 years following lower extremity amputations in patients with diabetic foot disease.

Background: Amputations are associated with markedly reduced long-term survival in patients with diabetic foot disease. However, there is paucity of long-term survival data in published literature.

Methods: We searched the electronic case records and laboratory details of patients who underwent amputations between 1997 and 2006 to obtain at least 10 years of follow up data after the surgery to assess the survival rates and possible risk factors reducing survival in the year 2016.