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National Diabetes Education Program Strategic Directions for 2011, 2012 and 2013

Founded in 1997, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is a federally-sponsored initiative that involves public and private partners in efforts to improve diabetes management and outcomes, promote early diagnoses, and prevent or delay the onset of diabetes in the United States and its territories.

NDEP is jointly sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health and the Division of Diabetes Translation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.

NDEP’s goal is to reduce the burden of diabetes and prediabetes by facilitating the adoption of proven approaches to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and its complications.

Objectives:

• Increase awareness and knowledge of the seriousness of diabetes, its risk factors, and effective strategies for preventing complications associated with diabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes.
• Increase the number of people who live well with diabetes and effectively manage their disease to prevent or delay complications and improve quality of life.
• Decrease the number of Americans with undiagnosed diabetes.
• Among people at risk for type 2 diabetes, increase the number who make and sustain effective lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes.
• Facilitate efforts to improve diabetes-related health care and education, as well as systems for delivering care.
• Reduce health disparities in populations disproportionately burdened by diabetes.
• Facilitate the incorporation of evidenced-based research findings into health care practices.

Strategy #1: Promote and implement culturally and linguistically-appropriate diabetes awareness and education campaigns.

• Refine, expand and implement the Small Steps. Big Rewards. Prevent Type 2 Diabetes campaign, including but not limited to proactive media outreach, social media efforts, and engagement of partners in outreach activities. Showcase partner initiatives and support partner adaptation of campaign efforts.
• Refine, expand and implement the Control Your Diabetes. For Life. campaign, including but not limited to proactive media outreach, social media efforts, and engagement of partners in outreach activities. Showcase partner initiatives and support partner adaptation of campaign efforts.

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Strategy #2: Identify, disseminate and support the adoption of evidence-based, culturally and linguistically-appropriate tools and resources that support behavior change, improved quality of life, and better diabetes outcomes.

• Introduce and market Diabetes HealthSense to people with diabetes, people at risk, their families, and health care professionals.
• Disseminate current research and provide education to assist health care professionals, businesses, and health insurers, among others, to address health care systems elements that affect the primary prevention of diabetes and diabetes care practices.
• Facilitate incorporation of diabetes care and prevention into comprehensive health care (e.g. through the medical home).
• Disseminate current research related to quality diabetes care and support the health care community in the clinical management of diabetes.
• Provide information and support people with diabetes, people at risk for diabetes, and their families seeking to obtain quality diabetes care and to improve health and quality of life outcomes.
• Collaborate with strategic partners to promote, implement, and evaluate use of NDEP tools and materials in communities and at work sites.
• Support the adaptation and incorporation of NDEP messages, materials, and tools into comprehensive diabetes prevention and control efforts at the local, state, and national level.

Strategy #3: Expand NDEP reach and visibility through collaborations with public, private, and nontraditional partners, and use of national, state, and local media, traditional and social media, and other relevant channels.

• Expand NDEP’s brand awareness, reach and visibility year-round through national and local media outreach and promotional efforts that support, engage, leverage and promote NDEP’s extensive partnership network.
• Identify, recruit and retain active volunteer representatives from partner organizations who can further the mission of the NDEP.
• Engage academic, public health, and advocacy organizations at all levels to increase the reach and impact of NDEP messages and materials.
• Assess partner needs and provide training and technical assistance to ensure effective use of NDEP products/tools in their activities.
• Develop and implement targeted marketing approaches for priority NDEP tools and resources using relevant channels for each audience.
• Engage/use all new media and fully explore technology in all communications and outreach efforts, including mobile phones, PDA “apps,” and explore partnerships with content/information sharing companies.

Strategy #4: Conduct and support the evaluation of NDEP resources, promotions, and other activities to improve future NDEP initiatives.

• Develop and implement an evaluation plan for major NDEP activities or promotions.
• Develop and implement a monitoring system for dissemination of, and exposure to, NDEP resources.
• Develop and provide evaluation resources (e.g., templates, technical assistance) to partners for evaluation of their NDEP-related activities.
• Monitor and report to partners on trends in diabetes awareness and action in order to evaluate NDEP efforts and to identify actions to improve NDEP materials and outreach programs.
• Evaluate partner engagement (e.g., document partner-implemented promotional efforts utilizing NDEP resources and materials.)

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