The numbers…….STAGGERING…..
- The total direct and indirect estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 was $245 billion.
- Average medical expenditures for people with diagnosed diabetes were about $13,700 per year. About $7,900 of this amount was attributed to diabetes.
- An estimated 33.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 years or older (84.1 million people) had prediabetes in 2015.
- Nearly half (48.3%) of adults aged 65 years or older had prediabetes (Table 3). https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics/statistics-report.html
So many reasons to increase awareness of prediabetes and expand the NDPP!
Knowing this, we need to ask, “How can we ‘think outside the box’ to offer the NDPP?” The need for the traditional classroom is established, but it’s so important we explore other avenues…..on-line, distance learning, or a combination (classroom and virtual).
The great news we love to share is that CDC Recognition and reimbursement are happening for the virtual DPP. Here is just one example, illustrated in “CDC Gives Shout Out to Three Digital Prevention Programs for Type 2 Diabetes” https://diatribe.org/cdc-gives-shout-out-three-digital-prevention-programs-type-2-diabetes. In this 2015 example, DPS Health, Noom Health, and Omada Health, share their success stories! As stated in the article, “All offer the same educational curriculum as the NDPP study, but in an online format. Many insurance companies cover these programs, and you can find more information about their unique takes on the NDPP at the above websites (links). These digital versions are excellent options for those who live far away from NDPP locations or who prefer the anonymity and convenience of doing the program online.”
Going forward, let’s ask ourselves— what can WE do to “think outside the box”?! Check out the State of Wellness Training Schedule and Resources Page to start your own DPP; and explore the wide variety of tools available to your DPP! https://www.stateofwellness.org