Measure Description
Percentage of adult patients with risk factors for type 2 diabetes who are due for glycemic screening for whom the screening process was completed during the measurement period.
Rationale
This measure is critical to identifying patients with prediabetes who may benefit from interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes and identification of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 97.6 million American adults have prediabetes (CDC, 2024). They note that more than 80% of adults with prediabetes are not aware that they have the condition. Regular screening for prediabetes is a critical first step to helping patients avoid the disability and costs associated with progression to type 2 diabetes.
The measure gives credit for three types of tests that can be used to detect abnormal glucose metabolism: HbA1c, oral glucose tolerance, and fasting plasma glucose. When considering which plasma glucose screening codes to include in the measure, the measure development team carefully considered two potential unintended consequences related to the limited use of accompanying fasting status codes. If the measure specified plasma glucose screening too narrowly, it could incentivize over screening, which would impose added burden on clinicians and increased costs to some patients. Alternatively, if the measure specified plasma glucose screening too broadly, it could give credit for non-fasting plasma glucose tests that are not adequate for diagnostic purposes.
Clinical Recommendations Statements
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in adults aged 35 to 70 years who have overweight or obesity. Clinicians should offer or refer patients with prediabetes to effective preventive interventions (B recommendation) (USPSTF, 2021).
Evidence on the optimal screening interval for adults with an initial normal glucose test result is limited. Cohort and modeling studies suggest that screening every 3 years may be a reasonable approach for adults with normal blood glucose levels (USPSTF, 2021).
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes can be detected by measuring fasting plasma glucose or HbA1c level, or with an oral glucose tolerance test. A fasting plasma glucose level of 126 mg/dL (6.99 mmol/L) or greater, an HbA1c level of 6.5% or greater, or a 2-hour post-load glucose level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or greater are consistent with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. A fasting plasma glucose level of 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.55-6.94 mmol/L), an HbA1c level of 5.7% to 6.4%, or a 2-hour post-load glucose level of 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.77-11.04 mmol/L) are consistent with prediabetes (USPSTF, 2021).
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, July 23). National Diabetes Statistics Report. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from Diabetes website: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/php/data-research/
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA, 326(8), 736–743. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.12531