Publications
Our team is proud to share the research we've been involved in. All the publications listed here are open access, which means anyone can read them for free. We believe in making knowledge available to everyone, and these articles reflect our ongoing work to improve healthcare and support evidence-based practice.
Chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes in UK primary care: Testing frequency, coding accuracy and clinical inertia (Azhar Zafar, Carina Scarlata, N. Jaleel 2026).
The study examined how well UK GP practices test for, diagnose, and record chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with Type 2 diabetes. The study found that CKD is frequently under-tested and under-recorded in people with Type 2 diabetes. Rural practices had lower testing rates and more delays in diagnosis than urban practices. Younger patients and those with fewer abnormal kidney test results were the most likely to remain uncoded. These findings suggest that improving CKD testing, coding, and adherence to guidelines could support earlier diagnosis and better patient outcomes.
Burden of obesity in local health systems: A comparative analysis across three integrated care boards in England with a focus on type 2 diabetes (Azhar Zafar, Carina Scarlata 2026).
The study examined the economic impact of obesity across Integrated Care Boards in England, with a focus on Type 2 diabetes and related complications. The study found that obesity generates substantial costs across healthcare, social care, productivity, and quality of life, with higher costs linked to increased BMI and comorbid conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. These findings suggest that targeted prevention and treatment strategies are needed to reduce the health and economic burden of obesity.
Group consultations in diabetes care: qualitative insights from patients and practitioners to inform service redesign (Azhar Zafar, Carina Scarlata, Asif Humayun 2025).
The study examined barriers and facilitators to the uptake and delivery of diabetes group consultations in primary care. The study found that challenges included scheduling difficulties, accessibility issues, group dynamics, and unclear communication about the purpose and benefits. Key enablers included structured education, tailored group formats, and peer support. These findings suggest that improving communication, flexibility, and balancing education with peer discussion could increase participation and improve diabetes care through group consultations.
Telemedicine in Diabetic Retinal Screening: Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Challenges a New Perspective (Baig A, Zafar A 2024).
The study examined the role of telemedicine in ophthalmology, particularly in diabetic retinopathy screening and the use of emerging artificial intelligence systems. The study found that teleophthalmology improves access to screening and can achieve high diagnostic accuracy, while AI-based tools show promising performance and may improve efficiency and scalability. These findings suggest that combining teleophthalmology with AI could enhance diabetic eye screening, although challenges remain around regulation, validation, and integration into clinical practice.
Therapeutic inertia amongst general practitioners with interest in diabetes (Samuel Seidu, Tun Than, Azhar Zafar 2017).
The study examined therapeutic inertia in the management of Type 2 diabetes in UK primary care among clinicians with a special interest in diabetes. The study found that therapeutic inertia occurred in a notable proportion of patients and was not significantly explained by patient-level characteristics. These findings suggest that therapeutic inertia in diabetes care may be driven by broader clinical and contextual factors rather than measurable patient characteristics alone.
Assessment of response rates and yields for Two opportunistic Tools for Early detection of Non-diabetic hyperglycaemia and Diabetes (ATTEND). A randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis (K Khunti, C L Gillies, A Zafar 2016).
The study examined two approaches for identifying undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes in primary care: a computer-based risk score and a patient self-assessment questionnaire. The study found that the computer-based tool led to higher follow-up testing rates and was more cost-effective than self-assessment, while both methods identified similar numbers of new cases. These findings suggest that automated risk assessment tools may improve screening uptake and efficiency in detecting Type 2 diabetes.
Acknowledging and allocating responsibility for clinical inertia in the management of Type 2 diabetes in primary care: a qualitative study (A. Zafar, M A Stone, M J Davies, K Khunti 2015).
The study examined factors influencing clinical inertia in the management of Type 2 diabetes from the perspective of primary care healthcare professionals. The study found that clinical inertia is driven by a combination of provider, patient, and system-level factors, including time constraints, comorbidities, and challenges in treatment decision-making. These findings suggest that addressing these interconnected barriers and clarifying responsibility for treatment decisions may help improve diabetes care and patient outcomes.
Clinical inertia in management of T2DM (Azhar Zafar, M. Davies, A. Azhar, Kamlesh Khunti 2010).
The study examined clinical inertia in the management of people with Type 2 diabetes in primary care. The study found that many people with Type 2 diabetes do not achieve target glycaemic control because of delays in treatment intensification. Clinical inertia, along with poor adherence and delayed intervention, were identified as major barriers. These findings suggest that timely treatment and adherence to clinical guidelines could improve glycaemic control and patient outcomes.