Awareness of Prediabetes Remains Low
Authors
of a report published March 22 in the Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report say that just over 11% of US adults with
prediabetes were told during 2009-2010 that they have the condition. The report
also indicates awareness of prediabetes was low (<14%) across all population
subgroups and different levels of health care access or use and other factors.
The
report is based on the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an ongoing,
stratified, multistage probability sample of the noninstitutionalized US
civilian population. This analysis was conducted using data from 3 sampling
cycles of NHANES, with examination response rates of approximately 77% for 2005-2006,
75% for 2007-2008, and 77% for 2009-2010.
During 2005-2010, the percentage of
persons aged ≥20 years with prediabetes who were aware of their prediabetes
remained low but was slightly higher during 2009-2010 (11.1%) than during 2005-2006
(7.7) During 2005-2010, prevalence of prediabetes awareness was lower among those
aged 20-44 years (5.1%) compared with
persons aged 45-64 years (10.0%) and those aged ≥65 years (11.95). Age-adjusted
prevalence of prediabetes awareness was lower among persons with less than a
high school education (4.9%) compared with those with greater than a high
school education (8.7%). Prevalence was higher among overweight (7.9%) and
obese (9.9%) individuals compared with those of normal weight (4.3%). Also, it
was higher among those with a family history of diabetes compared with those
without (10.4% vs 6.2%).
Because
the vast majority of people with prediabetes are unaware of their condition,
identification and improved awareness of prediabetes are critical first steps
to encourage them to make healthy lifestyle changes or to enroll in
evidence-based, lifestyle-change programs aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes,
say the authors.
Conference to Focus on Development of Systems in Physical Therapy Practice
In
his 2012 McMillan Lecture, Alan Jette, PT, PhD, challenged physical therapy
professionals to ‘Face Into the Storm’ and boldly tackle the challenges of the
new century. These challenges include a health care system that is increasingly
data driven, and where reimbursement is tied to coordination of care and
performance. To meet these challenges, physical therapists must develop
critical systems skills to collect and examine clinical data to determine what
works for which conditions, for which patients and in different settings in
order to improve clinical practice and meet reimbursement requirements.
A 1-day conference on June 7 in
Boston, cosponsored by APTA and Boston University’s Health & Disability
Research Institute, focuses on the need to develop systems skills as a critical
component of physical therapy practice. The conference agenda includes a
combination of key didactic presentations, case examples of innovative
programs, and opportunities for discussion among attendees.
The
target audience for the conference includes innovators seeking to advance the
development of systems skills in physical therapy practice.
Register today to attend
"Face Into the Storm: Gaining the System Skills Needed to Succeed in the
Changing Healthcare Environment." If you are unable to travel to Boston, register for the virtual
conference/webcast.
Otago Exercise Program Now Available in Online Course
The Otago Exercise Program: Training for Physical Therapists is an online course that aims to train physical therapists
to integrate the Otago Exercise Program as part of their practice. It is
intended to be used in combination with the Otago Exercise Program Manual
available as an attachment in this course.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention was a key stakeholder whose efforts led to the development of the
program manual and this online training format. APTA member Terry Shea, PT, GCS, NCS, has led the effort to translate Otago for use in the United
States. She was instrumental in providing content and expertise for creating
this online manual and training.
"Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Elders," a clinical summary in PTNow authored by APTA
member Tiffany Shubert, PT, PhD, cites the Otago Exercise Program and links to
the program's manual. APTA members also can find a reference to the Otago
Exercise Program in PTNow's clinical case on a 70-year-old
woman who was referred to a physical therapist for her knee pain and expresses
concern about falling. PTNow, APTA's clinician website portal developed in
collaboration with sections, moved out of beta in January.
The
course is approximately 3 hours and can be started and stopped at the user's
convenience. The cost is $25. Completers get 3 contact hours.
Registration Still Open for APTA Virtual Career Fair
Don't miss out on the
opportunity to meet with large, small, regional, and national employers at APTA's live,
online Virtual Career Fair, to be held April 9, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm ET. This
first-ever online event is a great way for you to engage directly with
employers about their current and future physical therapy career opportunities.
Participate in the Virtual Career Fair
for as long as you wish, chatting 1-on-1 with recruiters to discuss your
background and experience, and their current and future needs for physical
therapists.
Space is limited for this event, so register today.