Characterizing screening strategies for type 2 diabetes in high-risk ethnic communities: a scoping review protocol

Objective: This review aims to identify the characteristics of screening strategies for type 2 diabetes to determine the most pragmatic approach to improve relevance to high-risk community groups from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is increasingly contributing to the global burden of disease and is more common in some community groups. Although screening underpins the success of primary prevention programs for type 2 diabetes, screening of high-risk community groups from ethnically diverse backgrounds require different screening protocols and can be challenging. These strategies have never been systematically scoped. 

Inclusion criteria: This scoping review will consider screening strategies for type 2 diabetes that target high-risk ethnic community groups. Studies with adults older than 18 years will be considered for inclusion. Screening strategies may include, but are not limited to, risk-assessment questionnaires, blood tests, or both, using an opportunistic approach involving general practices or a targeted approach toward high-risk community groups from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Experimental and observational quantitative studies and mixed methods studies will be included. 

Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Informit, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus will be searched. Studies will be screened for inclusion by two independent reviewers, and data will be extracted using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework. Results will be summarized in tables accompanied by narrative text.