Synopsis of the 2017 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs/U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Ann Intern Med. 2017 Nov 7;167(9):655-663. doi: 10.7326/M17-1362. Epub 2017 Oct 24.

Abstract

Description: In April 2017, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved a joint clinical practice guideline for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The VA/DoD Evidence-Based Practice Work Group convened a joint VA/DoD guideline development effort that included a multidisciplinary panel of practicing clinician stakeholders and conformed to the Institute of Medicine's tenets for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. The guideline panel developed key questions in collaboration with the ECRI Institute, which systematically searched and evaluated the literature through June 2016, developed an algorithm, and rated recommendations by using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system.

Recommendations: This synopsis summarizes key features of the guideline in 7 areas: patient-centered care and shared decision making, glycemic biomarkers, hemoglobin A1c target ranges, individualized treatment plans, outpatient pharmacologic treatment, glucose targets for critically ill patients, and treatment of hospitalized patients.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Clinical Decision-Making
  • Decision Making
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / therapy*
  • Diabetic Angiopathies / prevention & control
  • Fructosamine / blood
  • Glycated Hemoglobin / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Life Expectancy
  • Patient Preference
  • Patient-Centered Care

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Blood Glucose
  • Glycated Hemoglobin A
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Fructosamine