Promoting prediabetes screening within the primary care setting: evidence-based approach utilizing the diabetes prevention toolkit
Date
2023
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the United States is a growing public health concern. Estimates by the CDC predict that by 2025 one in five Americans will have diabetes. Currently, the CDC estimates that one in three American adults have prediabetes, in which 70% of them will eventually develop type 2 diabetes within five years. A review of the literature promotes the efficacy of standardized, evidence-based screening measures and interventions to offset the rising prevalence of prediabetes and the subsequent development of type 2 diabetes. However, despite the efficacy of preventative interventions, the literature notes that most clinicians are not implementing the available evidence-based recommendations and interventions. The significant underutilization of these resources has resulted in the continual increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The CDC, in partnership with the AMA, created the Diabetes Prevention Toolkit to serve as a fundamental resource to support providers in preventing type 2 diabetes. The toolkit provides standardization of screening measures and proper testing protocols. It also provides educational resources and intervention strategies, including referrals to CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Programs. To bridge the gap between evidence-based literature and clinical practice, the DNP Practice Change Project was developed with guidance from Nola Pender’s Theory of Health Promotion. The project's purpose focused on promoting the efficacy of screening for prediabetes and encouraging the utilization of the Diabetes Prevention Toolkit within the primary care setting. The project was successfully implemented in the Fall of 2022 at a Federally Qualified Primary Care Health Center. A retrospective chart review was conducted to collect information on the baseline screening practices at the health center to compare to the data collected during the project implementation. The data analysis and major findings confirmed that the utilization of the toolkit significantly increased the rate of prediabetes screening, as evidenced by the increase in the daily average of patients screened, the increase in the percentage of patients ordered an HbA1C test, and the increase in the percentage of clinicians providing patients education and referral to a diabetes prevention program.
Description
Keywords
Diabetes, Prediabetes, Prediabetes risk test, Prediabetes screening, Diabetes prevention program