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

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.