Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33781266›Full record

ArticleHealth research policy and systems2021

Mapping the burden of diabetes in five small countries in Europe and setting the agenda for health policy and strategic action.

Sarah Cuschieri, Elena Pallari, Natasa Terzic, Ala'a Alkerwi, Árún Kristín Sigurðardóttir

Abstract read
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Article in Health research policy and systems, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. National health examination surveys; a source of critical data.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2024
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sarah CuschieriDepartment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
Elena PallariMRC Clinical Trials and Methodology Unit, University College London, London, UK. e.pallari@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1967-6345
Natasa TerzicCenter for Health System Development, Institute of Public Health of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro.
Ala'a AlkerwiService épidémiologie et statistique, Direction de la Santé, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
Árún Kristín SigurðardóttirSchool of Health Science, University of Akureyri, Sólborg, Iceland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiabetes is a global epidemic affecting every country. Small countries, however, face distinctive challenges related to their health system governance and their ability to implement effective health systems' reforms. The aim of this research was to perform a comparative assessment of existing diabetes management practices at the population level and explore governmental-related policy for Cyprus, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta and Montenegro. This is the first time that such an evidence-based review study has been performed in the field of diabetes. The overall purpose was to set the agenda for health policy and inform strategic actions for small countries that can benefit from dealing with the diabetes epidemic at a country level.

methodsWe collected data and synthesized the evidence on dealing with diabetes for each of the five small European countries according to the (1) epidemiology of diabetes and other related metabolic abnormalities, (2) burden of diabetes status and (3) diabetes registers and national plans. We collected data by contacting Ministry representatives and other bodies in each state, and by searching through publicly available information from the respective Ministry of Health website on strategies and policies.

resultsDiabetes rates were highest in Cyprus and Malta. National diabetes registers are present in Cyprus and Montenegro, while national diabetes plans and diabetes-specific strategies have been established in Cyprus, Malta and Montenegro. These three countries also offer a free holistic healthcare service to their diabetes population.

conclusionsMultistakeholder, national diabetes plans and public health strategies are important means to provide direction on diabetes management and health service provision at the population level. However, political support is not always present, as seen for Iceland. The absence of evidence-based strategies, lack of funding for conducting regular health examination surveys, omission of monitoring practices and capacity scarcity are among the greatest challenges faced by small countries to effectively measure health outcomes. Nevertheless, we identified means of how these can be overcome. For example, the creation of public interdisciplinary repositories enables easily accessible data that can be used for health policy and strategic planning. Health policy-makers, funders and practitioners can consider the use of regular health examination surveys and other tools to effectively manage diabetes at the population level.

Indexed as

Diabetes MellitusHealth PolicyCyprusHumansGlobal burden of diseasesHealthcare deliveryHealthcare systemsHealth policyNoncommunicable diseasesSmall countriesType 2 diabetes

Identifiers

PMID33781266
PMCPMC8006502

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.