Demographic, Clinical, and Biomedical Profile of Diabetic Patients Receiving Home Healthcare in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Identifying characteristics of diabetic patients receiving home healthcare will help in designing services that respond to their conditions and improve their health status and quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and biomedical characteristics of diabetic patients receiving home healthcare (HHC).Methods and Results: We used a descriptive cross-sectional design, and data were collected from 251 medical records of diabetic patients in two home healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. The collected data included demographic, clinical, and biomedical profile variables. The average age was 74.7±11.6 years, with most patients (93.2%) aged 60 or older. The most common treatment modality was multiple daily insulin injections with or without oral medication (38.6%), followed by oral medication with sulfonylurea (19.9%). Pressure injury was the most reported complication/comorbidity, affecting 33.1% of patients. Cerebrovascular disease came next, affecting 20.7% of patients, followed by cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and nephropathy, affecting 12.3%, 10%, and 6.4% of patients, respectively. Only 4.2% of patients experienced hypoglycemia, and only 5.6% of patients were hospitalized due to diabetes mellitus complications. The mean HbA1c was 7.6±1.7%, with approximately 71.7% of the diabetic patients having HbA1c<8%, and 28.2% with HbA1c>8% (P<0.0001). The median (range) low-density lipoprotein was 2.93 (1-317) mmol/L. The median (range) eGFR was 76.6  (9-389) mL/min/1.73m2. Around 48% of the population had an eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73m2.Conclusion: Our findings show satisfactory glycemic control, acceptable LDL levels, low incidence of hypoglycemia, and minimal hospital admissions.