Variations in glucose test ordering practices by diabetes risk factors.

Although the American Diabetes Association and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend screening individuals with diabetes risk factors, approximately one third of diabetes cases remain undiagnosed. Because either set of guidelines would be effective in detecting new cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), one explanation for why there are so many cases of undiagnosed cases of diabetes may be that screening guidelines are applied inconsistently. This study addresses this important issue in clinical practice by assessing physician recognition of diabetes risk factors based on ordering laboratory tests for patients described in clinical vignettes.