Diabetes risk factors and testing in a Texas family medicine clinic

To examine whether the American Diabetes Association and the US Preventive Services Task Force risk factors are associated with testing for diabetes, we examined 300 medical records of patients aged 18 years or older who visited the Family Medicine Clinic at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Demographic, medical history, and laboratory information were collected. A patient was considered tested if either a fasting or random plasma glucose was recorded. The frequency of glucose testing for those with one or more risk factors was 56%. Approximately 76% and 85% of those with hypertension and dyslipidemia were tested, respectively. Patients who were overweight, had hypertension, or had an annual examination were two to three times more likely (P < .05) to have a glucose test. Many patients who should be tested are not being tested. One way to improve the quality of care is to perform glucose testing on patients at high risk for diabetes and to obtain complete lipid profiles.