Managing type 2 diabetes often involves keeping a close watch on kidney health. However, some patients may not get the necessary tests to catch early signs of damage. This study looked at how a simple computer alert could change how doctors manage these patients.
Researchers gave 400 patients with type 2 diabetes a computerized decision support tool. This tool sent an alert to doctors to order a specific kidney test called UACR. In the group that received the alert, 36% of patients received the test within 90 days, compared to only 11.5% in the group without the alert. This jump suggests that a simple digital nudge can help doctors catch potential issues much faster.
While the alert led to more testing and helped identify more cases of high protein in the urine, it did not lead to more new diagnoses of advanced kidney disease or more specialist referrals during the study period. Because some of the findings regarding high protein levels were analyzed after the study was finished, these specific results should be viewed with some caution.
