Cree Diabetes Information System (CDIS)

What is the Cree Diabetes Information System (CDIS)?

The Cree Diabetes Information System (CDIS) was created in 1996 by CBHSSJB Public Health Department, at the request of Cree leadership, to respond to the growing problem of diabetes in Eeyou Istchee.

The CDIS is a database used for the clinical management of people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or a history of gestational diabetes. Its primary goal is to serve as a clinical tool to improve patient care management.
The secondary goal of CDIS is to provide data on the state of diabetes in Eeyou Istchee, to inform preventative program planning, human and material resource planning, and other community-level planning.

Reports based on CDIS data are prepared and disseminated every 3 – 5 years to the CBHSSJB Board of Directors, clinical staff, CMC directors and proximity directors, diabetes program coordinators, regional Public Health, local and regional political leadership.

The report provides public health surveillance data to communities and regional authorities as part of the broader mandate of the Public Health Department to monitor and report on the health of the population.-

Diabetes was declared a priority for the CBHSSJB in the 2016-2021 Strategic Regional Plan.

The 2021 CDIS reports were significantly delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 CDIS Brief Statistical Update

The 2021 CDIS reports were significantly delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A brief statistical update was created in 2023 pending the completion of the next full CDIS reports.

The brief statistical update provides an update on the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes in Eeyou Istchee.

Further information available

Incidence refers to new cases in a specified time period.
Prevalence refers to existing cases of disease in a specified time period.

The brief statistical update was disseminated in Winter 2024.

Other CDIS reports are expected to be completed by 2025.

2021 CDIS Brief Statistical Update – Key Points

Increased prevalence: More people are living with diabetes now than ever before in Eeyou Istchee.
- In 2002: 1 in 7 people (14%) age 20 and older lived with diabetes.
- In 2021: 1 in 3 people (31%) age 20 and older lived with diabetes.
As of 2021: 3,522 Eeyouch/Eenouch age 20 and older are living with diabetes.
Increased prevalence means higher demand for certain regional health services, especially as the risk of health complications rises about a decade after diagnosis.
There is a high but stable incidence (# of new cases) among adults 20 and older in the last 20 years. This current high incidence is expected to lead to an even higher prevalence in years to come.
Diabetes among youth is a growing concern and calls for a targeted response.
In 2021: Almost 20 % of people (1 in 5) living with type 2 diabetes were under the age of 40.
More women than men live with diabetes in Eeyou Istchee. This is the opposite of the trend seen in the rest of Quebec, where type 2 diabetes is slightly more common among males.
Children born to women with diabetes have increased risks for the disease.

Health disparity between Eeyou Istchee and Quebec:

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to increase in Eeyou Istchee and was 4.4 times higher than in the rest of Quebec in 2021.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Eeyou Istchee has roughly doubled in the past 2 decades, while in Quebec it has remained stable.