Variation in Treatment Patterns of Type 2 Diabetes in Older Patients
Authors' conclusion
Substantial provider-level variation suggests that individualised glycemic management for older adults remains difficult to operationalise in routine care.
Study context
- Population
- Patients ≥65 years with T2D, ≥1 diabetes medication and ≥1 HbA1c measurement, 2023 Cleveland Clinic electronic health records; 406 providers; HbA1c goals <7.5% good, <8% intermediate, <9% poor health406 providers
- Participants
- 15,865 patients
- Exposure
- Endocrinology vs internal medicine providers
- Outcome
- Proportion of patients above goal (HbA1c > goal), at goal (0%-1.5% lower than goal) and below goal (≥1.5% lower than goal), at provider level
Methodological detailselectronic health records, single health system
- Electronic health records
- Single health system
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Below goal, all patients (range 10%-87.9%)
- 52.1%
- Below goal, good health
- 13.4%
- Below goal, intermediate health
- 42.0%
- Below goal, poor health
- 76.0%
- Above goal, all patients (range 0.0%-36.4%)
- 11.3%
- Above goal, good health
- 25.1%
- Above goal, intermediate health
- 13.7%
- Above goal, poor health
- 6.7%
- Significant variation across providers
- p < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aRRR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Being below goal, endocrinologyvs internal medicine providers (multivariable model)Multivariable model | 0.69 (0.57–0.82) | |
| Being above goal, endocrinologyvs internal medicine providers (multivariable model)Multivariable model | 1.65 (1.33–2.05) | |
| 0.512Adjusted relative risk ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
Variation in Treatment Patterns of Type 2 Diabetes in Older Patients. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 23 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →