Diabetes knowledge care gaps in elderly

How can gaps in the evidence best be filled?

The exclusion of older, and especially frail older, participants from most traditional randomized controlled trials of diabetes interventions has left us with large gaps in our knowledge of how best to address diabetes in the age-group with the highest prevalence rates. Future research should allow and account for the complexity and heterogeneity of older adults. Studies will need to include patients with multiple comorbidities, dependent living situations, and geriatric syndromes in order to advance our knowledge about these populations. Beyond broadening the inclusion criteria for randomized controlled trials, we will increasingly need sophisticated observational or comparative effectiveness evidence from “real world” settings and populations. Suggested research questions and topics are listed in Table 3.