Early Diabetes Screening: What Professionals Really Think

Interest in catching type 1 diabetes early in children is growing. Presymptomatic screening programs and new disease‑modifying therapies are expanding. Yet the views of the professionals who actually implement these programs have not been pulled together. A team performed a systematic review to gather professional opinions on pediatric early screening. They followed PRISMA rules and searched six major databases plus grey literature up to January 2026. Twelve studies made the cut, most of them focusing on paediatricians and diabetes specialists.

The review found that nurses, genetic counsellors, policymakers and other health workers appeared in only a few studies. Researchers used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to judge quality. They spotted common problems such as small or unrepresentative samples and possible non‑response bias. Because the studies varied so much, the team chose a narrative synthesis instead of a meta‑analysis.

Professional opinions differed depending on who was being screened, which group of clinicians was surveyed, and where the screening took place. Support was stronger for screening children at high risk than for screening the whole population. Benefits that were often mentioned included fewer DKA emergencies, earlier clinical care, and families feeling better prepared. Concerns centered on emotional stress for families, limited workforce capacity, and unclear referral and follow‑up pathways.

Structured programs that leaned on existing health‑system infrastructure received more positive feedback. This likely reflects the fact that those programs had clear steps and selected participants carefully. The review brings together clinical, psychosocial and organisational points, showing that support is mixed and conditional. More work is needed to create standard pathways and test how they work in real‑world settings.