Quality Standard Details

Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Care for People of All Ages

Publication Date
2021-May-01
Status
Published
Topic Area
Diabetes and Other Endocrinal, Nutritional and Metabolic

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by hyperglycemia. It can lead to serious complications, a diminished quality of life, and a substantially reduced life expectancy. 

In 2019, an estimated 4.4 million Ontarians were living with diabetes and prediabetes. Treating diabetes and its complications is estimated to cost the health care system $1.5 billion in direct costs.

The following quality standard addresses care for children and adults who are at risk of developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes or who already have a diagnosis of either. It includes the assessment, diagnosis, and management of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It applies to all settings. This quality standard does not include guidance on prevention efforts for the general public, although it does provide advice on how to prevent progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

This quality standard does not include care for pregnant people with type 2 diabetes. For a quality standard that addresses care for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who become pregnant, or people diagnosed with gestational diabetes, please refer to the Diabetes in Pregnancy quality standard.

Quality Standard in Brief

Quality Statement 1: Screening for Risk Factors and Testing for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

People who are asymptomatic yet susceptible to developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have their blood tested at regular intervals determined by their individual risk factors.

Quality Statement 2: Reducing the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

People with prediabetes and their caregivers collaborate with their care provider to create a tailored plan to prevent or slow the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

Quality Statement 3: Identifying and Assessing Mental Health Needs

People with type 2 diabetes are screened for psychological distress and mental health disorders on a regular basis using recognized screening questions or validated screening tools. People who screen positive for a mental health disorder are referred to a health care professional with expertise in mental health for further assessment and treatment.

Quality Statement 4: Healthy Behaviour Changes

People with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes receive education and coaching on healthy behaviour changes, including increasing physical activity, improving diet, managing stress, and quitting smoking. People who have concerns about their weight despite implementing healthy behaviour changes are offered individualized weight management interventions.

Quality Statement 5: Setting and Achieving Glycemic Targets

People with type 2 diabetes, in collaboration with their health care team, set individualized glycemic targets, including glycated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1C) and other available measures of glycemia. All available data are used to assess whether individualized glycemic targets are achieved and to guide treatment decisions and self-management activities.

Quality Statement 6: Access to a Collaborative Interprofessional Care Team

People with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and their caregivers have access to a collaborative interprofessional care team to comprehensively manage their prediabetes or diabetes and additional health care needs.

Quality Statement 7: Promoting Self-Management Skills

People with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and their caregivers collaborate with their interprofessional care team to create a tailored self-management plan based on their needs and preferences, with the goal of enhancing their ability to participate in their diabetes management.

Quality Statement 8: Screening for Complications and Risk Factors

People with type 2 diabetes are screened for complications and risk factors at diagnosis and at regular follow-up intervals.

Quality Statement 9: Cardiovascular Protection

People with type 2 diabetes receive care that incorporates an individualized cardiovascular risk reduction approach.

Supporting Documents

Patient guide for this quality standard

Know what to ask for in your care 

Placemat for this quality standard

A quick-reference resource for clinicians that summarizes the quality standard and includes links to helpful resources and tools

Getting started guide

Quality improvement tools and resources for health care professionals, including an action plan template

Measurement guide

Supplementary information to support the data collection and measurement process

Additional Resources

If you would like to receive these resources, please send us a message using our contact form:

  • Case for improvement (slide deck)
    Share why this standard was created and the data behind it, to get the support you need to put it into practice
  • Technical specifications
    See the technical specifications for the indicators within the quality standard
  • Summary of the public feedback we received

Last Updated: February 24, 2026