Implementation of the National Diabetes Register in Primary Health Care Setting

Amarilda Hysenshahaj¹, Dorina Toçi¹, Alban Ylli^1,2, Bajram Dedja¹, Besjan Elezaj¹, Alba Merdani¹, Ervin Toçi^1,2, Viola Manushi³, Evgjeni Ismailaj⁴, Adelajda Hushi⁵, Mirjana Hoti⁶, Albana Fico^1,2

¹ National Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania;

² Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania;

³ Health Care Services Operator, Tirana, Albania;

⁴ Health Care Services Operator, Vlora, Albania;

⁵ Health Care Services Operator, Elbasani, Albania;

⁶ Health Care Services Operator, Shkodra, Albania.

Aim: Diabetesis one of the major risk factors for cardio-vascular diseases. Implementation of the National Diabetes Register (NDR) at the primary health care centers was a necessity in order to evaluate the burden and epidemiology of the disease, treatment planning and interventions, prevention and control of diabetes in our country.

Methods: Implementation of NDR was based on Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 327 in 2014: “On Determining the Format and Methods for Data Collection and Reporting by Public and Private Health Services”. Since 2014, every new case diagnosed and registered at the primary health care physicians (PHCP) was reported through diabetes individual reporting form. Diabetes form contains socio-demographic, laboratory, treatment data, making it possible to assess the major trends for incidence, prevalence and control of disease. Specialists of all local health care units (LHCU) collect and report diabetes form to the Institute of Public Health, responsible for the organization, management, monitoring, data analyses and compiling reports of NDR.

Results: Several meetings and trainings were held with the help of Health Care Services Operator and LHCU on data collection and timely reporting diabetes new cases. In the first phase (January 2014 – December 2018), data based on the year of diagnosis and patient ID were collected in excel tables extracted by the PHCP’s registers. Starting from January 2020, all new cases of diabetes are reported by the individual form.

Conclusions: NDR will provide important information about the disease and will contribute making right decisions in health policy in terms of preventing and controlling diabetes in our country.

Keywords: local health care unit, national diabetes register, primary health care centers.