The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 44 No. 2 - Vaccinations in Adults

Does handing out Leaflets to Patients at Registration increase Diabetes Screening Uptake? — A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

Teo Boon See
Gerald Koh Choon-Huat
Lim Fong Seng
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 44 No 2 - Vaccinations in Adults
62 - 67
1 May 2018
0377-5305
Background: Among Singaporeans with diabetes, 1 in 3 have not been diagnosed. A large proportion of Singaporean adults are not current for their recommended diabetic screening. Objective: To determine whether handing out diabetes screening leaflets to patients at the point of registration in a general practice (GP) clinic would influence their uptake of diabetes screening. Design: A randomized controlled trial with a follow-up period of 3 months. Outcome measured was whether patients did the diabetes screening test (fasting plasma glucose). Intervention: A leaflet on diabetes screening was given to patients when they registered in the GP clinic. The control group did not receive a leaflet. Setting: A GP clinic in Toa Payoh, a suburb in central Singapore Participants: 97 patients 40 years old and above who were not known diabetics. Results: There was no significant difference in the uptake of diabetes screenings between the intervention and the control group (p=0.740). Conclusion: Handing out leaflets at registration in the GP clinic does not change uptake of diabetes screening.