Detecting Diabetes Sooner With a Risk Survey for the Family Doctor:Comparing Internet and Traditional Methods of Communication for Patients and Doctors

This pilot RCT study aims to develop and evaluate the uptake, feasibility, and potential value of a strategy for web-diabetes risk assessment versus paper-based methods in an undiagnosed diabetes population over 40 years of age from all listed FHT provided through an electronic medical record database. Following randomization, intervention participants will have the option to decide to use web-based self-screening and the control group will receive only a paper-based method. There will be two options for web-based screening; one involves completion of the CAN-RISK screening tool as part of a personal health record self-management program (MyOscar) versus a one off online risk-assessment. The intervention and control group will be compared with respect to risk-assessment uptake. Educational sessions and further assessment of diabetes conducted by the clinical health care team will be offered to all participants who scored a high risk of diabetes in accordance with the CAN-RISK results. Actual numbers of diabetes cases in those with a high risk score will be compared between the intervention and control groups as well as compared to the usual method of diabetes screening in a randomly chosen non-identifiable sample from the same clinical setting in the same one year period. The assessment of patient acceptability in feasibility of the implementation of the self-screening tool will be accomplished through surveys designed to be completed by patients and staff.