Improving the quality of diabetes care in general practice

<b>Objective:</b> The evidence treatment gap for patients with type 2 diabetes.<br /><b>Design:</b> A summary of convenience sample of seven general practices.<br /><b>Setting:</b> Metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia.<br /><b>Participants:</b> 561 patients of general practices (75% from rural general practices).<br /><b>Main outcome measures:</b> Demographic data, duration of diabetes, diabetes complications, HbA1c and lipid levels, blood pressure and score on PHQ-9.<br /><b>Results:</b> Patients with depression show more severe, progressive and intensively treated diabetes. The prevalence of depression in diabetes is about twice that of the general population.<br /><b>Conclusion:</b> Australian guidelines for diabetes should recommend screening for depression.<br />