Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Grantee Name

University of Chicago

Funding Area

Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Publication Date

September 2015

Grant Amount

$124,164

Grant Date:

April 2013 – December 2014

Evidence related to the outcomes of diabetes prevention programs is important for convincing health care payers and other funders to invest in prevention for people at risk for diabetes and other chronic conditions.

However, it is often difficult for these nonacademic audiences to synthesize the extensive number of prevention program studies that report health outcomes and cost results. NYHealth and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) partnered to co-fund the production of a synthesis report of health outcomes, implementation costs, and overall cost implications of existing diabetes prevention programs, especially when compared to medication management programs. The University of Chicago was awarded a grant to undertake this analysis and produce a report.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

  • Identified 23 studies of community-based diabetes prevention programs that included both components of healthy diet and physical activity;
  • Assessed the strength of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of these programs at reducing the risk or delaying the onset of diabetes;
  • Summarized the information available related to the cost of diabetes prevention programs; and
  • Produced the synthesis report “The Effectiveness of Diabetes Prevention Programs in Community Settings,” which was distributed to the New York State Department of Health, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, senior national and State policymakers, funders, and health insurance plan professionals. An accompanying policy brief was developed highlighting key findings from the synthesis.

By the close of the grant, NYHealth and the University of Chicago team recognized the need for a professional editor to make the report, which was technical by nature, accessible for a lay audience. NYHealth hired Sarah Goodell, an external editor with previous experience on an earlier diabetes synthesis project, to help prepare the report for dissemination. Her work concluded in December 2014, and the final report was disseminated in early 2015.