Harnessing Evaluation Strategies for Successful Diabetes Programming

Many diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) programs face challenges such as low referral rates, low awareness of the program's benefits among providers and people with diabetes, and scheduling conflicts.1 Reaching communities at higher risk of diabetes through DSMES can be even more challenging due to a lack of culturally appropriate programming, insurance and cost concerns, and lack of transportation.1,2 Recruitment and programming adaptations tailored to unique communities are needed to reach people disproportionately affected by diabetes.However, DSMES practitioners and providers on their own often do not have the time or capacity to identify and address these barriers experienced by those most at risk for diabetes.This practice-focused article will outline key interventions taken by one initiative to address these barriers and discuss emerging outcomes and practical takeaways for clinicians.Key Interventions The Delivering Evidence Led inTerventions Across the Lifespan to improve Equity and Access to Diabetes Care (DELTA) initiative aims to bridge these gaps in outreach and programming by implementing evidence-based diabetes programs, such as DSMES, through federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).Through this initiative, ADCES staff and the Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement Center at Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance partnered with 3 FQHCs and 1 nonprofit organization across the United States to provide quality care for people disproportionately impacted by diabetes.Although all FQHCs participating in DELTA serve counties with a high need for diabetes services, FQHCs also focused efforts on specific populations in their community that are most affected by diabetes, such as African American men and Spanish speakers.