The English national health service diabetes prevention programme (NHS DPP): A scoping review of existing evidence

Abstract

Aims: The English National Health Service Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) is commissioned by NHS England and has been rolled out across England to adults identified as being at high risk of type 2 diabetes. The present scoping review aimed to identify the extent and nature of evidence to date on the NHS DPP and describe what the evidence has reported.

Methods: A scoping review involving searches of various sources (including MEDLINE, CINAHL, MediArXiv, Google Scholar and GreyLit) was conducted on 31 August 2021 and repeated on 09 February 2022. Only articles reporting on the NHS DPP made available since 2015 were eligible for inclusion.

Results: 65 articles were included. Of these, 37 were journal publications. Most articles were made available in 2018 and 2020 (total n = 25). The majority of articles reported on uptake and retention (n = 27) whilst others reported on implementation considerations (n = 24), programme outcomes (n = 21), stakeholder experience (n = 8) and screening and referral processes (n = 3). Various research methods were reported and included qualitative (n = 9) and document analysis (n = 8). Articles revealed preliminary evidence on service user characteristics, rates of referral, uptake and retention as well as how far the NHS DPP is being delivered in line with its evidence base and service specification.

Conclusions: The evidence is accumulating on NHS DPP uptake and retention most, with emerging evidence on programme outcomes (such as weight loss and HbA1c). More evidence is warranted on stakeholder experience to decipher how to overcome low initial and long-term engagement reported by the current evidence base.

Keywords: United Kingdom; diabetes mellitus, type 2; prevention; public health; referral and consultation.