BackgroundDespite the growing burden of diabetes worldwide, evidence regarding the optimal models of care to improve the quality of diabetes care remains equivocal. This study aimed to identify profiles of patients with distinct ambulatory care use patterns and to examine the association of these profiles with the quality of diabetes care.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of the baseline data of 550 non-institutionalized adults included in a prospective, community-based, cohort study on diabetes care conducted in Switzerland. Clusters of participants with distinct patterns of ambulatory healthcare use were identified using discrete mixture models. To measure the quality of diabetes care, we used both processes of care indicators (eye and foot examination, microalbuminuria screening, blood cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin measurement [HbA1c], influenza immunization, blood pressure measurement, physical activity and diet advice) and outcome indicators (12-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-12], Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life [ADDQoL], Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care [PACIC], Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale, HbA1c value, and blood pressure