About CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation

Our strategic plan includes

Vision: A world free of the devastation of diabetes.

Mission: To reduce the preventable burden of diabetes through public health leadership, partnership, research, programs, and policies that translate science into practice.

Strategic Focus: We concentrate our efforts where we can achieve the greatest impact for populations with the greatest burden or risk.

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Diabetes At A Glance

Overview

The Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) is a part of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The division has about 100 employees in Atlanta, Georgia, plus several public health advisors in the field.

CDC has had a diabetes division since 1977. In 1989, the name of the division was changed to Division of Diabetes Translation, meaning that the division translates science into daily practice. In our applied or "translation" research, we take information from clinical trials and incorporate it into clinical and public health practices.

The division does not support the direct provision of services, but facilitates the efficient, fair, and effective availability of these services to all Americans affected by diabetes. The division does not do laboratory research and does not routinely fund individual investigators.

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Goals

• Prevent diabetes.
• Prevent complications, disabilities, and burden associated with diabetes.
• Eliminate diabetes-related health disparities.
• Maximize organizational capability to achieve DDT goals.

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Priorities

• Increase diabetes preventive behaviors.
• Improve the access to effective lifestyle interventions.
• Enhance and improve community and environmental strategies to prevent diabetes.
• Improve the health behavior and self management practices of people with diabetes.
• Enhance and improve the access and delivery of effective preventive health care services.
• Enhance and improve community and environmental strategies to support people with diabetes.
• Improve the science of health and health care disparities related to diabetes.
• Prioritize and disseminate public health strategies to eliminate disparities.
• Build DDT capacity for communication, evaluation, marketing, policy, and partnerships.

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Division Profile

• Our strategic plan includes concentrating our efforts where we can achieve the greatest impact for populations with the greatest burden or risk.
• Define the diabetes burden—public health surveillance: The division continues to strengthen public health surveillance systems for diabetes. Mainly, DDT works with states using the diabetes-specific modules of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to develop a nationwide, state-based surveillance system. The division is also initiating diabetes surveillance systems within managed care organizations.
• Conduct applied translational research: The division conducts applied research that focuses on translating research findings into clinical and public health practice. This research identifies and details the public health implications of results from clinical trials and scientific studies and effectively and efficiently applies these findings in the health care system. Areas of research include (1) access to quality care for diabetes, especially within managed care organizations; (2) early detection of undiagnosed diabetes; (3) cost effectiveness of diabetes prevention and control activities; (4) effectiveness of health practices to address risk factors for diabetes; and (5) demonstration of primary prevention of type 2 diabetes.
• Develop state-based diabetes prevention and control programs (DPCPs): The division provides funding for state-based DPCPs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and eight U.S.-affiliated jurisdictions. Core capacity-building activities emphasize developing state health department expertise to plan, design, and coordinate diabetes control activities. Sixteen DPCPs receive expanded funding to establish comprehensive programs, so they can implement statewide, multilevel public health approaches to reduce the burden of diabetes. The primary goal of the state-based DPCPs is to improve access to affordable, high-quality diabetes care and services, with priority on reaching high-risk and disproportionately affected populations.
• Implement the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP): The NDEP is a joint initiative sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is based on a partnership of public and private organizations that are concerned about the health status of their constituents. The NDEP is designed to improve treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes, to promote early diagnosis, and to prevent the onset of diabetes. Program activities are directed to these audiences: the general public; people with diabetes and their families; health care providers; and payers and purchasers of health care and policymakers.
• Coordinate media strategies and provide public information. The division has expanded its capacity to meet a rapidly growing demand for information about diabetes and CDC's programs. Through the following, we have increased public awareness about diabetes and provided technical assistance to our state partners: (1) national satellite media and marketing training for partners and a national satellite broadcast; (2) national diabetes/flu campaign; (3) public inquiries and publications request system that includes a toll-free telephone number ( 1-800-CDC-INFO
  1-888-232-6348 TTY ) that is answered in English and Spanish; and (4) Internet site (about 1,000 visits/day).