More than 23 million Americans, or nearly 8 percent of the population, have diabetes.1 A total of 1.6 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people ages 20 years or older in 2007.1 Diabetes and its complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. However, it is not inevitable that more Americans develop type 2 diabetes, nor is it inevitable that people with diabetes experience the long-term complications such as lower limb amputations, kidney failure, and premature death. There are successful interventions for delaying and potentially preventing the development of type 2 diabetes, managing type 2 diabetes effectively, and preventing complications responsible for diminished quality of life and shortened life expectancy. Family physicians largely determine the quality of diabetes care in the United States and, as such, are instrumental in proving primary prevention and risk reduction efforts.
1. National diabetes statistics, 2007. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse,, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/#allages. Accessed April 29, 2009.
Assessment and Management of Type 2 Diabetes
Series Overview
Series Objectives
The Type 2 Diabetes series will deliver educational programming designed to help family physicians to:
- Identify patients at risk for type 2 diabetes and implement recommended risk reduction strategies
- Put evidence-based treatment recommendations into practice
- Apply appropriate strategies for maintaining optimal glycemic control
- Identify challenges and barriers to the prevention/management of type 2 diabetes and implement effective solutions
Accessing the CME Activities
LearningLink is hosted by AAFP's technology partner MedEdArchitects. To access the activities (and to allow us to track learner progress through the program), you will need a LearningLink account. The only information required is your name, email address, and member status. Create a LearningLink account.
Activity 1: Highlights of Current Evidence and Clinical Recommendations
-- The first in a series addressing the challenges of assessing and managing type 2 diabetes, this activity reviews the current evidence and summarizes the evidence-based recommendations for optimal management of type 2 diabetes.
Activity 2: Approach to Medical Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
-- This activity reviews common clinical questions family physicians have about diabetes management, including the subtleties of using antihyperglycemic medications, the challenges when introducing insulin, and how to achieve CVD risk reduction.
Activity 3: Role of Diabetes Education in Improving Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes
-- A diabetes educator discusses the essentials of diabetes education and the applicable practice guidelines. Video dramatizations demonstrate appropriate patient instruction about blood glucose monitoring and insulin injection techniques.
Activity 4: Challenging Cases in Effective Management of Type 2 Diabetes
-- This activity presents three patient scenarios likely to be seen and managed in a primary care setting. Join a family physician and an endocrinologist as they discuss these cases, examine important issues and guidelines related to their management, and offer insights into more challenging aspects of diabetes care.
Activity 5: Intensifying Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes: Strategies for Family Medicine
-- The fifth in a series addressing the challenges of managing diabetes, this activity focuses on when and how to intensify insulin therapy in your patients who have type 2 diabetes.
Acknowledgment of Support
Activities 1 through 4 are supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America. Activity 5 is supported by an educational grant from Lilly USA, LLC.
