Continuity of care in patients with type 2 diabetes in Croatian primary care setting during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective observational study

AIM: To examine the differences in the continuity of health care for type 2 diabetic patients before and during COVID pandemic in family medicine depending on whether the physician who provided care finished vocational training in family medicine or not. METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal research lasted from 2018 to 2020 in eight family medicine practices on 648 patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed before 2018, and without Sars-Cov2 infection in previous medical history in Zagreb, Croatia. Follow-up parameters (HbA1c, LDL, eGFR, blood pressure, BMI, eye fundus and neurological findings, number of check-ups and vaccination against the flu) were noted before (2018, 2019), and in the COVID period (2020) in the care of family medicine specialists (FMPs) and without it (FMPws). RESULTS: No differences were found between the gender and age of patients. A decrease was seen in existing laboratory findings (64–47%, P < 0.001), eye fundus check-ups (39–37%, P = NS), neurologist check-ups (28–25%, P = NS) and FMP check-ups (382–321, P < 0.001) during the COVID period with significant differences between FMPs and FMPws. Significant changes were seen in LDL cholesterol (2.7–2.4 mmol/L, P < 0.001) and eGFR (83–80 ml/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.002), but BMI, blood pressure and HbA1c (>7% had 42% of patients) values did not differ during the COVID period. CONCLUSION: According to the observed parameters, the continuity of care for diabetic patients in Zagreb has worsened during the COVID pandemic but remained significantly better in care of FMPs than in FMPws, without differences in achieving target values of follow-up parameters.