Physician views of prediabetes vary significantly, and this variation is related to screening and treatment behaviors for diabetes prevention in patients, a recent study found. This electronic survey of a national sample of 1,248 US family physicians conducted in 2016 gauged physician attitudes toward prediabetes, and perceived barriers to diabetes prevention, current strategies for diabetes prevention, and perceptions of peers were also examined. Researchers found:

• Physicians who have a positive attitude toward prediabetes as a clinical construct are more likely to follow national guidelines for screening and recommend metformin to their patients for prediabetes vs those who do not.
• Barriers to diabetes prevention as perceived by physicians included sustaining patient motivation (83.2%), patients’ economic resources (71.9%), a patient’s ability to modify his or her lifestyle (75.3%), and time to educate patients (75.3%).