Proportion of subsequent clinic visits among persons without regular clinic visits who were screened as having hyperglycemia: A retrospective cohort study

• Published in: Journal of diabetes investigation Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 695 - 706
• Main Authors: Matsumura, Hiroshi, Sugiyama, Takahiro, Sakata, Nobuo, Ihana‐Sugiyama, Noriko, Imai, Kenjiro, Ohsugi, Mitsuru, Ueki, Kohjiro, Tamiya, Nanako, Iso, Hiroyasu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Ambulatory Care; Blood pressure; Blood tests; Cohort analysis; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - diagnosis; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diagnostic screening programs; Disease; Employees; Employers; Glycated Hemoglobin; Health insurance; Hemoglobin; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hyperglycemia - diagnosis; Hyperglycemia - epidemiology; Hypertension; Industrial safety; Lifestyles; Metabolism; Office visits; Older people; Original; Pharmaceuticals; Retrospective Studies; Self report; Japan; Diagnostic screening programs; Diabetes mellitus; Office visits
• ISSN: 2040-1116; 2040-1124
• DOI: 10.1111/jdi.13993

Aims/Introduction We aimed to examine the proportion of subsequent clinic visits for persons screened as having hyperglycemia based on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels at screening and the presence/absence of hyperglycemia at health checkups before 1 year of the screening among those without previous diabetes‐related medical care and attending regular clinic visits. Materials and methods This retrospective cohort study used the 2016–2020 data of Japanese health checkups and claims. The study analyzed 8,834 adult beneficiaries aged 20–59 years without regular clinic visits who had never received diabetes‐related medical care and whose recent health checkups showed hyperglycemia. The rates of 6‐month subsequent clinic visits after health checkups were evaluated according to HbA1c levels and the presence/absence of hyperglycemia at checkups a year before. Results The overall clinic visit rate was 21.0%. The HbA1c‐specific rates were 17.0, 26.7, 25.4 and 28.4% for <7.0, 7.0–7.4, 7.5–7.9 and ≥8.0% (64 mmol/mol), respectively. Persons with hyperglycemia at a previous screening had lower clinic visit rates than those without hyperglycemia, particularly in the HbA1c category of <7.0% (14.4% vs 18.5%; P < 0.001) and 7.0–7.4% (23.6% vs 35.1%; P < 0.001). Conclusions The overall rate of subsequent clinic visits among those without previous regular clinic visits was <30%, including for participants with HbA1c ≥8.0%. Persons with previously detected hyperglycemia had lower clinic visit rates, despite requiring more health counseling. Our findings might be useful for designing a tailored approach to encourage high‐risk individuals to seek diabetes care through clinic visits. This study examined the proportion of subsequent clinic visits for persons screened as having hyperglycemia by the glycated hemoglobin levels at the screening and the presence/absence of hyperglycemia at health checkups a year before among those without previous diabetes‐related medical care and regular clinic visits. The overall rate of subsequent clinic visits was <30%, even for glycated hemoglobin≥8.0%. Persons with previously detected hyperglycemia (Group A) had lower clinic visit rates than those without (Group B), despite requiring more health counseling.