Feasibility of a Partnered Approach to Prevent Diabetes

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) demonstrated that an intensive lifestyle intervention resulting in modest weight loss and increased physical activity can delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in those at increase risk for the disease. The lifestyle program used, however, was not designed for delivery on a public health scale. Successful DPP translation will require a sustainable partnership between a health care system and an established community organization committed to community health and experienced in implementing sustainable health and wellness programs. We have been collaborating with local health system and community administrators for over a year to design a 'real-world' clinic-based screening model to identify and refer high-risk patients for a group-based adaptation of the DPP lifestyle intervention in community facilities. We have designed this study to develop preliminary data about the feasibility and yield of clinic-based screening and referral, as well as the effectiveness of the adapted lifestyle intervention. This pilot study seeks to: 1) evaluate the feasibility of a strategy to implement American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendations for clinic-based diabetes-risk testing and to refer high-risk patients for a community-based lifestyle intervention; 2) compare two strategies to enhance community-based program participation by referred patients; 3) demonstrate the capability of community facilities to schedule and enroll referred clinic patients at high-risk for diabetes and to deliver a modified, group-based DPP lifestyle intervention consistently; and 4) compare levels of weight loss and physical activity achieved by referred clinic patients with pre-diabetes who participate in a free-of-charge, group-based DPP lifestyle intervention at community facilities compared to a free-of-charge, traditional, one-on-one DPP lifestyle intervention at a DPP research site. Addressing these issues now will enable us to evaluate this partnered DPP translation model with a larger, more robust future study that will involve referral by multiple primary care clinics, program delivery at more community sites, and a 3-year follow-up period.