The American Medical Association added eight states to its nationwide effort to reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, the organization announced Nov. 9.
The AMA's initial effort, launched last year, involved collaborating with medical societies in California, Michigan and South Carolina to develop program models that target patients with prediabetes, the precursor to Type 2 diabetes.
The expanded program will include statewide efforts with medical societies in Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The goal of the effort is to encourage physicians to screen and refer at-risk prediabetes patients to diabetes prevention programs.
"With 90 percent of the people living with prediabetes in this country unaware they have the condition and at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, we are excited to now be working with eight new states to help reach thousands more patients with prediabetes," said AMA President David O. Barbe, MD.