Increasing Access to Diabetes Self Management Education

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Submission Date: December 2009

State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: Maine

States/Territories Involved: Maine

Domain Addressed:

Community-Clinical Linkages

Public Health Issue:

  • Over seven percent of Maine adults have diabetes and another 38,000 Maine adults have diabetes but arenā€™t aware of it.
  • Maine diabetes self management programs show improved outcomes for people with diabetes a year after completing the program, such as reductions in measures of blood sugar and lipids, reduced hospitalizations, and more needed eye exams.
  • Only about a third of the potential participants in state certified diabetes self management education programs are taking advantage of the education yearly.

Program Action:

  • The Maine Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, with help from partners, surveyed primary care providers, diabetes educators, and individuals with diabetes to determine barriers to accessing diabetes self management programs in the state.
  • Results showed that these groups werenā€™t aware of the programs, perceived that they didnā€™t personally need the information, and identified many infrastructure issues such as scheduling, class format and transportation.
  • The Program convened a group of stakeholders to develop an action plan to reduce these barriers and increase access to diabetes self management programs, including a strategy on planning and conducting a conference for diabetes educators to market diabetes self management programs.

Impact/Accomplishments:

  • Implementing the survey raised the awareness of health professionals and individuals with diabetes about diabetes self management programs.
  • The conference strategy was implemented and reinforced the value of diabetes self management programs to diabetes educators. They developed individual program marketing plans and are implementing strategies to reduce the identified barriers to diabetes self management education.
  • Partner agreement on a mutual action plan enables wider implementation of useful strategies.
  • The stakeholder workgroup continues to collaborate on ways to increase access to diabetesĀ self management programs.

Program Areas:

Diabetes

State Contact Information:

ME
Cindy Hale
Maine Department of Health & Human Services
207-287-2907
lucinda.a.hale@maine.gov

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