Pcde Specific Research : The Eucclid study

Thanks to this research branch of the association, under chairmanship of Prof. Guy Rutten, the EUCCLID project was designed and developed as a first achievement of this collaborative research working group.

EUCCLID is a European cross sectional primary care diabetes survey in conjunction with the EASD study group. In this study patients will be randomly selected from a list of all patients known to the participating GPs with DM2 for whom the GP is the main diabetes care provider. Exclusion criteria will include people with type 1 diabetes mellitus, diabetes of pregnancy, serious mental illness, unable to complete a questionnaire in national language or unable to give written informed consent.

Approximately 12,000 patients will be included. Participants will have a detailed medical history and anthropometric measurements, blood and urine will be collected and questionnaires will be taken. Endpoints will include quality indicators of clinical DM2 care, prevalence of diabetic complications, knowledge, attitudes, barriers and behaviour affecting good control in DM2 patients, quality of life and patients’ satisfaction with diabetes care. We will also determine primary care physician’s attitudes, behaviour and perception of barriers to deliver effective diabetes care.

Ref: Bobbink IWG, Gorter KJ, Rutten GEHM, Wens J, Cos Claramunt X, Topserver P, Khunti K. The EUCCLID study: proposed European study on care and complications in people with type 2 diabetes in primary care. Primary Care Diabetes, 2007;1:167-171.

In 2009 the results of the successful pilot of this study were published within our Journal.

European studies on quality of diabetes care in an unselected primary care diabetes population are scarce. RESEARCH QUESTION: To test the feasibility of the set-up and logistics of a cross-sectional EUropean study on Care and Complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Primary Care (EUCCLID) in 12 European countries. METHOD: One rural and one urban practice from each country participated. The central coordinating centre randomly selected five patients from each practice. Patient characteristics were assessed including medical history, anthropometric measures, quality indicators, UKPDS-risk engine, psychological and general well-being. RESULTS: We included 103 participants from 22 GPs in 11 countries. Central data and laboratory samples were successfully collected. Of the participants 54% were female, mean age was 66 years and mean duration of diabetes was 9.6 years. Besides, 18% were using insulin, 31% had a history of cardiovascular disease, mean HbA1c was 7.1% (range 6.6-8.0), mean systolic blood pressure was 133.7 mmHg (range 126.1-144.4) and mean total cholesterol was 4.9 mmol/l (range 4.0-6.2). CONCLUSION: A European study on care and complications in a random selection of people with T2DM is feasible. There are large differences in indicators of metabolic control and wellbeing between countries. (c) 2010 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ref. Gorter KJ, Wens J, Khunti K, Claramunt XC, Topsever P, Drivsholm T, Jenum AK, Berkhout C, Khalangot M, Goldfracht M, Rurik I, Lionis C, Rutten GE. The European EUCCLID pilot study on care and complications in an unselected sample of people with type 2 diabetes in primary care. Prim Care Diabetes. 2010 Apr;4(1):17-23.