Models of Diabetes Care Across Different Resource Settings

All countries, regardless of the gross domestic product, face challenges in providing quality healthcare for people with diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Hence many may struggle to achieve a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs, including diabetes, by 2030 through prevention and treatment, as one of the sustainable development goals. The scale and nature of the challenges are greatest in many low- and middle-income countries that are still undergoing transition and have multiple disease burdens of chronic infectious and NCDs. The WHO Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions framework can be used to underpin integrated healthcare delivery for diabetes and other chronic diseases. This includes core principles such as a comprehensive approach, continuity, coordination and access to care, person-centeredness, teamwork, extension of care from health centers into the community, use of evidence, and clinical governance. An essential element of all models of care is to change the value system with the aim of ensuring motivated affirmed healthcare workers, which is pivotal to enabling people to self-manage their diabetes. At present, information technology as used in healthcare delivery for diabetes has different roles to play depending on the resource setting.