What Healthcare Providers Think About Early Type 1 Diabetes Screening

Early screening for Type 1 diabetes is becoming more common as new treatments show promise in delaying the disease. Yet the people who would actually carry out this screening—doctors, nurses, genetic counsellors, and policymakers—have not been systematically asked what they think about it.

Researchers conducted a systematic review of published studies to find out what professional healthcare workers say about screening children for Type 1 diabetes before they show symptoms. By searching multiple medical databases through January 2026, they identified 12 studies that explored these perspectives.

Most of the studies included paediatricians and diabetes specialists. However, far fewer studies asked nurses, genetic counsellors, policymakers, and other healthcare professionals for their views. This means we have a clearer picture of what some professionals think than others.

Across all the studies, professional opinions were not uniform. Support for early screening depended on several factors: whether screening targeted only high-risk children or all children, which type of healthcare worker was asked, what the screening plan looked like, and what resources and support systems were available in their community.

When researchers compared different screening approaches, they found that healthcare professionals were more supportive of screening children at higher risk for Type 1 diabetes—such as siblings of children who already have it—than screening all children regardless of risk.

This pattern appeared across multiple studies, suggesting that professionals see targeted screening as a more practical and focused approach than screening entire populations.

Professionals reported several reasons why early screening could be valuable. They mentioned the potential to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious medical emergency that can develop when Type 1 diabetes first appears. Early knowledge also allows families to engage with clinical care sooner and gives them time to prepare emotionally and practically for a diagnosis.

Despite potential benefits, healthcare workers raised significant concerns about early screening. They worried about the psychological and emotional burden on families who learn their child is at risk but may not develop diabetes for months or years. Questions also surfaced about whether healthcare systems have enough trained staff to implement screening programs effectively.

Professionals also expressed uncertainty about how screening results would be used in practice and what would happen after a child was identified as at risk. These gaps in clarity suggest that more work is needed to design screening programs that are both practical and supportable within existing healthcare systems.

Source: Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.