The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, concluded its four-year diabetes prevention and management commission, publishing its manuscript on World Diabetes Day, Nov. 14, 2020. Hui Shao, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy in the UF College of Pharmacy, was one of 44 international diabetes experts chosen to study diabetes from a wide range of perspectives, including epidemiology, economics and etiology.
Shao led the economic modeling team, which developed a microsimulation model that can be used to prioritize public policies on diabetes prevention in various countries. Their findings differed in developed versus developing countries. “We found that personalized intervention programs, such as group-based diabetes prevention programs, are preferable in developed countries,” Shao said. “While for developing countries, public policy and system-level approach may have higher economic value.”
Shao noted that his group’s microsimulation model requires a small amount data to work, so developing countries with limited data can still use the model to inform policy making and prioritize public policies.