Minority Status and Diabetes Screening in an Ambulatory Population

Sysop · May 12th, 2011, 02:11 PM

OBJECTIVE Ethnicity has been identified as a risk factor not only for having type 2 diabetes but for increased morbidity and mortality with the disease. Current American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines advocate screening high-risk minorities for diabetes. This study investigates the effect of minority status on diabetes screening practices in an ambulatory, insured population presenting for yearly health care.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This is a retrospective population–based study of patients in a large, Midwestern, academic group practice. Included patients were insured, had ≥1 primary care visit yearly from 2003 to 2007, and did not have diabetes but met ADA criteria for screening. Odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and predicted probabilities were calculated to determine the relationship between screening with fasting glucose, glucose tolerance test, or hemoglobin A1c and patient and visit characteristics.
RESULTS
Of the 15,557 eligible patients, 607 (4%) were of high-risk ethnicity, 61% were female, and 86% were ≥45 years of age. Of the eight high-risk factors studied, after adjustment, ethnicity was the only factor not associated with higher diabetes screening (OR = 0.90 [95% CI = 0.76–1.08]) despite more primary care visits in this group. In overweight patients

May 12th, 2011, 02:11 PM	#1
Sysop Administrator Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 83	Minority Status and Diabetes Screening in an Ambulatory Population OBJECTIVE Ethnicity has been identified as a risk factor not only for having type 2 diabetes but for increased morbidity and mortality with the disease. Current American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines advocate screening high-risk minorities for diabetes. This study investigates the effect of minority status on diabetes screening practices in an ambulatory, insured population presenting for yearly health care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This is a retrospective population–based study of patients in a large, Midwestern, academic group practice. Included patients were insured, had ≥1 primary care visit yearly from 2003 to 2007, and did not have diabetes but met ADA criteria for screening. Odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and predicted probabilities were calculated to determine the relationship between screening with fasting glucose, glucose tolerance test, or hemoglobin A1c and patient and visit characteristics. RESULTS Of the 15,557 eligible patients, 607 (4%) were of high-risk ethnicity, 61% were female, and 86% were ≥45 years of age. Of the eight high-risk factors studied, after adjustment, ethnicity was the only factor not associated with higher diabetes screening (OR = 0.90 [95% CI = 0.76–1.08]) despite more primary care visits in this group. In overweight patients