The Choice of the Topic
The disease process selected for this assignment is type 2 diabetes. It was chosen because, among all the cases of diabetic known to modern medicine, this type is the most common. The process of this disease revolves around insulin resistance experienced by the body of an affected individual (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2017). All in all, the disease process of this type of diabetes includes several stages. The first stage is represented by the major sign – insulin resistance. To be more precise, insulin can attach to the muscle and liver cells of an affected individual, but there are specific mechanisms that are in place preventing insulin from fulfilling its major function – moving blood sugar into the cells of liver and muscles where it is consumed and used (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2017).
At the initial stage of type 2 diabetes, the body of an affected patient can produce the amounts of insulin that can vary from normal to high; in turn, this helps them deal with the resistance. As the condition moves to its second stage, the pancreas of the patient loses its capacity to generate normal amounts of insulin; in this way, the body loses the ability to overcome the impairment. As a result, the most common outcome associated with this stage of the condition is known as postprandial hyperglycemia – a significant rise of glucose in a patient’s blood after every meal (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2017). Full-blown type 2 diabetes occurs at the third stage when the elevated level of blood sugar causes the damage of beta cells and impair the production of insulin even more. The result is hyperglycemia, the elevated levels of blood glucose observed most of the time (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2017).
Population
The populations that are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes will be eligible for screening. Namely, the communities at risk include the persons with the combinations of the following risk factors: excessive weight or obesity, being older than 45 years of age, being a representative of a non-Caucasian ethnic group (Asian, African, Pacific Islanders, Latino(a)) and people with a genetic predisposition (Joslin Diabetes Center, 2017).
Screening
The process of screening will help identify the people who are at the first stage of diabetes to take the necessary preventive measures and reduce the adverse effects of the disease and also slow down its development. The primary screening would be conducted in the form of a standard questionnaire of ADA titled “Take the Test, Know the Score”. Further, the individuals with a high score in the questionnaire would participate in blood and fasting plasma glucose tests that prove to have a higher rate of sensitivity than urine glucose tests. The screening can be conducted in the medical settings (a hospital or a medical center) or they could be performed by a mobile care delivery unit with the following announcement of the results online. It would cost about 150 dollars to screen one person; however, the early detection of type 2 diabetes in the predisposed populations and multiple risk factors is known to save money to the United States healthcare system. The cost savings are effective as they begin to work in the short term and continue to translate into the improvement in the provision of services and help to the affected individuals in the long term.
References
Joslin Diabetes Center. (2017). “At risk” populations and diabetes. Web.
University of Maryland Medical Center. (2017). Diabetes – type 2. Web.