Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes screening at a large pediatric center.

Objective: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation guidelines recommend annual diabetes screening by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) starting at the age of 10 years. Adherence to these guidelines proves to be challenging, and the nationwide screening rates are still considered suboptimal. The aim of this study was to assess and improve the screening rates at our large pediatric center.

Methods: A 4-year retrospective audit of OGTT completion among pediatric patients with CF of age ≥10 years who are not yet diagnosed with diabetes was conducted. A collaborative working group was formed to identify the barriers to screening and formulate a quality improvement plan, which was monitored and evaluated for a 9-month period.

Results: Diabetes screening rates determined by OGTT completion at our center showed a gradual decline during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2022. Following the implementation of the quality improvement plan during the summer of 2023, there was a marked increase in OGTT ordering compliance by providers as well as test completion by patients. Notably, the fractional OGTT completion rate rose from 45% during the preintervention phase (January-April 2023) to 70% during the postintervention phase (May-September 2023).

Conclusion: Diabetes screening in pediatric patients with CF can be effectively improved by refining practices related to patient experience, care coordination, and laboratory testing strategies.