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Changes in Screening Practices for Prediabetes and Diabetes Since the Recommendation for Hemoglobin A1c Testing.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Screening involves the presumptive identification of asymptomatic individuals at increased risk for unrecognized disease. We examined changes in screening practices for prediabetes and diabetes since January 2010, when HbA1c was first recommended as an option for screening and diagnosis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:We studied members without diabetes of an HMO ?45 years of age continuously enrolled for ?3 years and assigned to primary care clinicians affiliated with a large academic health system. We defined screening as the first oral glucose tolerance test, HbA1c, or glucose test performed between 2010 and 2014. RESULTS:Of 12,772 eligible patients, 9,941 (78%) were screened at least once over 3 years. HbA1c was the initial screening test 14% of the time and glucose 86% of the time. Of those screened with HbA1c, 63% had abnormal results defined as HbA1c ?5.7% (?39 mmol/mol). Of those tested with glucose, 30% had abnormal results defined as glucose ?100 mg/dL, and 5% had abnormal results defined as glucose ?126 mg/dL. Patients with abnormal HbA1c levels and those with glucose levels ?126 mg/dL were equally likely to be scheduled for follow-up appointments (41% vs. 39%), but those with abnormal HbA1c levels were more likely to be diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes (36% vs. 26%). CONCLUSIONS:As we observed in 2004, rates of screening are high. HbA1c is still used less frequently than glucose for screening but is more likely to result in a clinical diagnosis. Evidence to support guidelines to define the role of random glucose screening, including definition of appropriate cut points and follow-up, is needed.

SUBMITTER: Evron JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7373494 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Changes in Screening Practices for Prediabetes and Diabetes Since the Recommendation for Hemoglobin A<sub>1c</sub> Testing.

Evron Joshua M JM Herman William H WH McEwen Laura N LN

Diabetes care 20190206 4

<h4>Objective</h4>Screening involves the presumptive identification of asymptomatic individuals at increased risk for unrecognized disease. We examined changes in screening practices for prediabetes and diabetes since January 2010, when HbA<sub>1c</sub> was first recommended as an option for screening and diagnosis.<h4>Research design and methods</h4>We studied members without diabetes of an HMO ≥45 years of age continuously enrolled for ≥3 years and assigned to primary care clinicians affiliate ...[more]

PMID: 30728220

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Project description:BackgroundProposed payment reforms in the US healthcare system would hold providers accountable for the care delivered to an assigned patient population. Annual hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) tests are recommended for all diabetics, but some patient populations may face barriers to high quality healthcare that are beyond providers' control. The magnitude of fine-grained variations in care for diabetic Medicare beneficiaries, and their associations with local population characteristics, are unknown.MethodsHbA1c tests were recorded for 480,745 diabetic Medicare beneficiaries. Spatial analysis was used to create ZIP code-level estimated testing rates. Associations of testing rates with local population characteristics that are outside the control of providers--population density, the percent African American, with less than a high school education, or living in poverty--were assessed.ResultsIn 2009, 83.3% of diabetic Medicare beneficiaries received HbA1c tests. Estimated ZIP code-level rates ranged from 71.0% in the lowest decile to 93.1% in the highest. With each 10% increase in the percent of the population that was African American, associated HbA1c testing rates were 0.24% lower (95% CI -0.32--0.17); for identical increases in the percent with less than a high school education or the percent living in poverty, testing rates were 0.70% lower (-0.95--0.46) and 1.6% lower (-1.8--1.4), respectively. Testing rates were lowest in the least and most densely populated ZIP codes. Population characteristics explained 5% of testing rate variations.ConclusionsHbA1c testing rates are associated with population characteristics, but these characteristics fail to explain the vast majority of variations. Consequently, even complete risk-adjustment may have little impact on some process of care quality measures; much of the ZIP code-related variations in testing rates likely result from provider-based differences and idiosyncratic local factors not related to poverty, education, or race.

Project description:Major (above-knee or below-knee) amputation is a complication of diabetes and is seen more common among black and Hispanic patients. While amputation rates have declined for patients with diabetes in the last decade, it remains unknown if these improvements have equitably extended across racial groups and if measures of diabetic care, such as hemoglobin A1c testing, are associated with these improvements. We set out to characterize secular changes in amputation rates among black, Hispanic, and white patients, and to determine associations between hemoglobin A1c testing and amputation risk.We identified 11,942,840 Medicare patients (55% female) with diabetes over the age of 65 years between 2002 and 2012 and followed them for a mean of 6.6 years. Of these, 86% were white, 11.5% were black, and 2.5% were Hispanic. We recorded the occurrence of major amputation and hemoglobin A1c testing during this time period and studied secular changes in amputation rate by race (black, Hispanic, and white). Finally, we examined associations between amputation risk and hemoglobin A1c testing. We measured both the presence of any testing and testing consistency using 3 categories: poor consistency (hemoglobin A1c testing in 0-50% of years), medium consistency (testing in 50-90% of years), and high consistency (testing in >90% of the years in the cohort).Between 2002 and 2012, the average major lower-extremity amputation rate in diabetic Medicare patients was 1.78 per 1,000 per year for black patients, 1.15 per 1,000 per year for Hispanic patients, and 0.56 per 1,000 per year for white patients (P < 0.001). Over the study period, the incidence of major amputation in Medicare patients with diabetes declined by 54%, from 1.15 per 1,000 in 2002 to 0.53 per 1,000 in 2012 (rate ratio = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.51-0.54). The reduction in amputation rate was similar across racial groups: 52% for black patients, 61% for Hispanic patients, and 55% for white patients. In multivariable analysis adjusting for patient characteristics, including race, any use of hemoglobin A1c testing was associated with a 15% decline in amputation risk (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.83-0.87; P < 0.001). High consistency hemoglobin A1c testing was associated with a 39% decline in amputation (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.59-0.62; P < 0.0001).Although more frequent among racial minorities, major lower-extremity amputation rates have declined similarly across black, Hispanic, and white patients over the last decade. Hemoglobin A1c testing, particularly the consistency of testing over time, may be an effective component metric of longitudinal quality measures toward limiting amputation in all races.

Dataset Information

Changes in Screening Practices for Prediabetes and Diabetes Since the Recommendation for Hemoglobin A1c Testing.

Publications

Changes in Screening Practices for Prediabetes and Diabetes Since the Recommendation for Hemoglobin A<sub>1c</sub> Testing.

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