Primary care physicians’ utilization of type 2 diabetes screening guidelines and referrals to behavioral interventions: A survey-linked retrospective study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sandhya Mehta, QuintilesIMS; Michelle Mocarski, Novo Nordisk; Tami Wisniewski, Novo Nordisk; Karin Gillespie, Novo Nordisk; Kabayam Venkat Narayan, Emory University; Kathleen Lang, QuintilesIMS
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-08-01
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2017-000406
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care
• ISSN: 2052-4897
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: e000406
• End Page: e000406
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by Novo Nordisk, Inc.
• Keywords: Knowledge; Screening Guidelines; Adherence; Primary Care Physician; Diabetes Mellitus
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Objective: To assess primary care physicians’ (PCPs) knowledge of type 2 diabetes screening guidelines (American Diabetes Association (ADA) and 2008 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)), the alignment between their self-reported adherence and actual practice, and how often PCPs recommended diabetes prevention and self-management education programs (DPP/DSME). Research design and methods: An online survey of PCPs to understand knowledge and adherence toward use of USPSTF/ADA guidelines and recommendation of DPP/ DSME. Patient data from electronic medical records (EMRs) for each PCP were used to identify rates of screening in eligible patients as per guidelines and the two sources were compared to assess concordance. Results: Of 305 surveyed physicians, 38% reported use of both guidelines (33% use ADA only, 25% USPSTF only). Approximately one-third of physicians who reported use of USPSTF/ADA guidelines had non-concordant EMR data. Similarly, while most PCPs reported they are ‘very likely’ to screen patients with risk factors listed in guidelines, for each criterion at least one-fourth (24%) of PCPs survey responses were non-concordant with EMRs. PCPs reported they provide referral to DPP and DSME on average to 45% and 67% of their newly diagnosed patients with pre-diabetes and diabetes, respectively. Conclusion: Findings show disconnect between PCPs’ perceptions of adherence to screening guidelines and actual practice, and highlight limited referrals to DPP/ DSME programs. More research is needed to understand barriers to guideline consistent screening and uptake of DPP/DSME, particularly in light of recent policy changes such as the linking USPSTF criteria to reimbursement and expected Medicare DPP reimbursement in 2018.