Table 3 Odds ratios of characteristics associated with frequent vs. infrequent referrals to diabetes specialists in France
| Â | OR (95% CI) | P-value |
|---|---|---|
Sex (men, reference: women) | 0.71 (0.37 to 1.36) | 0.31 |
Age (per year) | 1.04 (1.01 to 1.07) | 0.005 |
Location of practice | Â | Â |
Urban location (reference: rural location) | 1.70 (0.94 to 3.10) | 0.08 |
Diabetes care network membership | 2.81 (1.15 to 6.88) | 0.02 |
Reasons for referral (not mutually exclusive) | Â | Â |
Diabetes imbalance | 1.58 (0.73 to 3.68) | 0.26 |
To start insulin therapy | 2.73 (1.44 to 5.34) | 0.003 |
To consolidate communication about therapeutics and compliance | 2.34 (1.18 to 4.67) | 0.01 |
Benefits expected from referral (not mutually exclusive) | Â | Â |
To obtain advice before using new medication, such as SGLT-2 inhibitors (Gliflozins) | 2.08 (1.11 to 3.98) | 0.02 |
To enable close monitoring by a multidisciplinary team (e.g. registered nurse, psychologist, dietician) | 1.50 (0.80 to 2.79) | 0.20 |
Ease of access to a diabetes specialist for the patient (score with range 0–10, OR per additional point) | 1.08 (0.95 to 1.23) | 0.25 |
Satisfaction with diabetologists’ response to referral (score with range 0–10, OR per additional point) | 1.00 (0.84 to 1.19) | 0.96 |
Barriers to referral (not mutually exclusive) | Â | Â |
Patient refusal | 1.85 (1.03 to 3.38) | 0.04 |
Doubt about the added value of diabetes specialist management | 0.25 (0.08 to 0.66) | 0.01 |