Assessing the Evaluability of Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Diabetes Management Interventions Focusing on Underserved Populations

Rates of diabetes and diabetes-related health complications continue to rise among African American and Latino populations. Additional research and evaluations of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) and diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) programs are essential for identifying and disseminating best practices to help underserved populations prevent type 2 diabetes and manage diabetes. Authors implemented a systematic screening and assessment methodology to identify and examine National DPP and DSMES programs in underserved communities that demonstrated high participation rates and improved outcomes within African American and Latino populations. This study describes the screening methods used to identify programs and lessons learned from promising and innovative practices shown to be effective in recruitment and retention of African American and Latino populations into the National DPP and DSMES. Of the 9 National DPP and 9 DSMES programs that met the inclusion criteria, 4 of each were selected for evaluability assessments. Lessons learned regarding recruitment, retention, cultural tailoring, effectiveness of evidence, and organizational capacity were identified. Specific strategies that supported program success included community partnerships, instructor or coaches/participant racial concordance, holding classes in multiple locations, and including more group sessions. A panel of diabetes subject matter experts reviewed information on program design, implementation, and data collection capacity to recommend 4 programs to participate in a rigorous evaluation. Disclosure K.D. Farris: None. T. Bonner: None. G.E. Rutledge: None. B. Smith: None.