The effect of a team-based service model on treatment processes and outcomes and healthcare usage among people with type 2 diabetes in North Karelia, Finland.

Aims: In North Karelia, Finland, a team-based service model was implemented in primary healthcare (PHC) during 2020. In this model, a healthcare customer contacts a nurse who initiates the service process immediately, possibly consulting or directing customers to other professionals. The effect of this new service model among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) was assessed.

Methods: Data from T2D patients diagnosed by 2016 and still residing in North Karelia in 2023 (N = 6312) were extracted from electronic health records. Diabetes-related contacts with nurses or physicians in PHC and specialised healthcare (SHC) were considered, along with emergency care contacts, measurement activity and levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) between 2017 and 2022. Annual differences between areas were analysed using logistic and Poisson mixed models.

Results: The team-based service model increased T2D-related PHC remote contacts with nurses for a couple of years, but eventually they decreased to a lower level than before. Additionally, the number of other contacts reduced. It had no effect on measurement activity or treatment levels of HbA1c and LDL.

Conclusion: The team-based service model might reduce the number of healthcare contacts among T2D patients, but more evidence is needed on its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.