ROADMAP Study a hit at the Annual Conference of the Chinese Diabetes Society

Suzhou, 30 November 2018. Discussion on the vision and progress of the Road to Hierarchical Diabetes Management at Primary Care Settings in China (ROADMAP) study, was undertaken at the 22nd National Academic Conference of the Chinese Diabetes Society.

Professor Jia Weiping, Director of the Chinese Diabetes Society, gave an opening remark and shared information on progress of the ROADMAP study and the outstanding requirements to complete this work. She expressed concern over the dramatic risk in diabetes among the Chinese population, with country now being one of the most affected by this disease. Due to the increasingly heavy burden of this disease across many facets of life, more and more scholars are focussing their attention on diabetes for basic and clinical research.

The ROADMAP study is a joint initiative of The George Institute China, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Chinese Diabetes Society and Bethune Charitable Foundation, under the guidance of the National Health Commission. The study aims to establish a new model of care for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes that is widely applicable to China’s national conditions. Researchers also undertake capacity-building activities in order to standardize the prevention and treatment of diabetes, and implement a hierarchical service model, linking specialist with primary care providers through a technical support platform. 

The baseline survey of the ROADMAP study is successfully completed, finding that the rate of successful blood glucose control is merely 34%; in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at community level, and that most patients suffer various comorbidities or chronic complications, including 45% with impaired kidney function. It is therefore imperative that a comprehensive and standardized approach to diabetes management is undertaken to ensure early diagnosis and control to prevention future complications and improve quality of life. Up to now, interventions in the study have been undertaken in 144 districts and counties of 25 provinces and autonomous regions in China.

Subsequently, Professor Zhang Puhong, Associate Director of The George Institute China, shared the various challenges that his operational team have had met along the way and discussed the solutions that they have used. He emphasized the importance of operating in accordance with standard quality control procedures. “We hope that the ROADMAP study can explore an economic and effective new path for the hierarchical diabetes management at primary care settings that suits China’s national conditions on the basis of the existing basic public health services”, said Professor Zhang.

Zhejiang Province Principal Investigator, Professor Li Hong from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (SRRSH), affiliated with the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, shared the progress of ROADMAP study in Zhejiang province. She said that after implementing the project, the communication channel from patient, village doctor, township doctor and county doctor, is less obstructed, and this helps regulate the management of diabetes, such as successful control of blood glucose, blood lipid and blood pressure. In addition, during implementation of the project, she was highlighted the various demands of the time of rural doctors’ and they enthusiasm to gain more knowledge of diabetes management.

Finally, Mr. Li Yunsong from Tengchong People’s Hospital, Yunnan Province, expressed his opinions on behalf of the large number of primary hospitals participating in the study. According to Li, the ROADMAP project has improved primary medical workers’ capacity at undertaking appropriate diagnosis and treatment, and it has strengthened the link between doctors in villages, townships, and county regions, which all leads to better regulation of the management of diabetes.