Gaps in our knowledge of managing inpatient dysglycaemia and diabetes in non-critically ill adults: A call for further research.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: To describe the gaps in knowledge for the care of people in the hospital who have dysglycaemia or diabetes. METHODS: A review of the current literature and the authors' knowledge of the subject. RESULTS: Recent data has suggested that the prevalence of hospitalised people with diabetes is approximately three times the prevalence in the general population and is growing annually. A wealth of observational data over the last 4 decades has shown that people with hyperglycaemia, severe hypoglycaemia or diabetes, all experience more harm whilst in the hospital than those who do not have the condition. This often equates to a longer length of stay and thus higher costs. To date, the proportion of federal funding aimed at addressing the harms that people with dysglycaemia experience in hospitals has been very small compared to outpatient studies. National organisations, such as the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care, the American Diabetes Association and the Endocrine Society have produced guidelines or consensus statements on the management of various aspects of inpatient care. However, whilst a lot of these have been based on evidence, much remains based on expert opinion and thus low-quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights that inpatient diabetes is an underfunded and under-researched area.