AMA, CDC team up on diabetes online toolkit

With an estimated 86 million Americans living with prediabetic conditions, the two organizations are building on past efforts to educate people about diabetes through their Prevent Diabetes STAT (Screen, Test, Act, Today) initiative.

As part of the initiative, the AMA and CDC have co-developed an online toolkit to help providers perform better screening and to refer those at high risk to diabetes prevention programs in their communities. An online screening tool also is available for residents to assess their own risks.

"It's time that the nation comes together to take immediate action to help prevent diabetes before it starts," said AMA President Robert M. Wah, MD, in a press release. "Type 2 diabetes is one of our nation's leading causes of suffering and death—with one out of three people at risk of developing the disease in their lifetime. To address and reverse this alarming national trend, America needs frontline physicians and other health care professionals as well as key stakeholders such as employers, insurers, and community organizations to mobilize and create stronger linkages between the care delivery system, our communities, and the patients we serve."

Ann Albright, PhD, RD, director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation, added: "The time to act is now. … We have the scientific evidence and we've built the infrastructure to do something about it, but far too few people know they have prediabetes and that they can take action to prevent or delay developing Type 2 diabetes."