Diabetes is on the rise, so why are we not bothered?

摘要

In regards to the article type 2 diabetes: prevention or cure?1 Mary Pierce explains that HbA1c testing compared to the glucose-based test would be a more practical scheme as suggested by the Leicester Group and that ‘People identified as being in the top 50% of diabetes risk using a computer-based risk assessment tool, can be opportunistically offered a HbA1c test to identify those with diabetes and those at high risk who require intensive structured lifestyle intervention and annual HbA1c monitoring’.1 She further states that ‘The Vascular Screening Programme with the diabetes addendum will improve the health of the population ...’’1; a statement with which I agree and hence the search for a method to improve patient compliance in HbA1c testing. For these reasons we can relate our audit that was carried out at The Royal Docks Medical Practice in 2012, in the Borough of Newham, London. The aim was to improve patient compliance in taking the HbA1c tests, that would in turn improve the outcomes and reduce the complications of diabetes and in turn reduce the costs to the NHS.