Talking to Patients about the National Diabetes Prevention Program

Benefits to your patients

CDC supports the National DPP lifestyle change program. A randomized, controlled clinical trial showed that completing the program reduced participants' chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% compared to placebo (71% for individuals aged 60 and older). This was nearly twice as much as the reduction among the group taking metformin (31%).

The National DPP lifestyle change program focuses on life-long changes to maintain healthy behaviors over time. A 10-year follow-up study showed that participants were still one-third less likely to develop type 2 diabetes a decade later compared to individuals from the placebo group. Those who did develop type 2 diabetes delayed the onset by about 4 years.

Some topics covered in the program include:

• Healthy eating (including less fat and fewer calories).
• Being active.
• Problem solving.
• Healthy eating out.
• Making healthy choices during holidays, vacations and special events.
• Maintaining changes over time.
• Staying motivated.

Benefits to your practice

Referring patients to the National DPP lifestyle change program reinforces the important advice that you give them during their visits. The lifestyle change program uses a research-based curriculum and trained coaches. You can trust that your patients are receiving evidence-based information about key health behaviors. Once they've enrolled in the program, their increased knowledge may also save you time during office visits.

Many of the prediabetes tools provided on this site are linked with Performance Improvement Continuing Medical Education (PI CME). Read more about the Prediabetes PI CME from the American Medical Association.

Following a M.A.P. to Diabetes Prevention for Your Practice can help your practice achieve Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition, as well as meaningful use of your electronic medical record. It supports PCMH recognition via Standard 4: Self-Care Support, B. Provide Referrals to Community Resources.

Quality assurance

CDC only recognizes programs that use trained coaches and an approved curriculum. To help organizations, CDC developed its own research-based curriculum, which it offers to organizations at no cost. Organizations that wish to use their own curriculum must submit it for CDC review to ensure it meets quality standards.

CDC also offers technical assistance and resources to help ensure program success. To further ensure quality, organizations seeking and holding CDC recognition are required to submit data. This includes information on participant attendance, physical activity minutes, and changes in weight. Read more about the CDC Recognition Program Standards and Operating Procedures.

When you refer your patients to the lifestyle change program, you know they will join a research-based program. It's delivered by professionals and shown to significantly reduce participants' risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Eligibility

Find out if your patients meet the requirements to join the lifestyle change program in person or online.

You can also help your patients find a program.