About NEHEP

NEHEP Partnership Directory

National Diabetes Education Program

Description

• Mission: The mission of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of diabetes and its complications. NDEP, a federally sponsored initiative of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, involves public and private partners to improve the treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes, to promote early diagnosis, and, ultimately, to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

• Membership/Affiliates: NDEP Executive Committee NDEP Coordinating Committee with 35 member organizations NDEP Partnership Network with more than 200 member organizations

• Programs/Activities:

  NDEP tailors messages to minority populations that are disproportionately affected by the disease as well as to the general population. The Program sponsors the following public awareness campaigns:

  • The Small Steps. Big Rewards. Prevent Type 2 Diabetes” campaign is based on the results of the Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trial that proved diabetes could be prevented or delayed in an overweight population with pre-diabetes. The Small Steps campaign encourages people at high risk to lose a small amount of weight by eating healthy and getting 150 minutes of physical activity a week. In April 2004, NDEP launched the first national, multicultural diabetes prevention campaign targeted toward groups at high risk for diabetes and older adults: “Let’s Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Step by Step (Paso a Paso)” targets Hispanic/Latino audiences; “More Than 50 Ways To Prevent Diabetes” targets African Americans; “We Have the Power To Prevent Diabetes” targets American Indians and Alaskan Natives; “Two Reasons To Prevent Diabetes: My Future and Theirs” targets Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; “It’s Not Too Late To Prevent Diabetes,” targets older adults; and “It’s Never too Early To Prevent Diabetes,” launched in 2006, promotes diabetes prevention messages to women with a history of gestational diabetes and their offspring. Campaign materials include motivation tip sheets, posters, and print and radio public service ads. Each set of materials is tailored for a high-risk group. The GAMEPLAN toolkit about preventing type 2 diabetes provides information for healthcare providers and people at risk for type 2 diabetes on how to make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
  • The “Control Your Diabetes. For Life” campaign is for people with diabetes, the people who support them, and healthcare professionals. Messages and materials focus on comprehensive control (the “ABCs” of diabetes) to help manage diabetes and prevent or delay the complications of the disease. The campaign continues with the distribution of two key publications: “Guiding Principles for Health Care Providers” (updated), outlining the seven essential components of quality diabetes care, and the companion brochure for people with diabetes, “4 Steps for Controlling Your Diabetes for Life.” Additional educational materials are available for healthcare professionals, and for consumers, materials are available in English, Spanish, and more than 15 Asian/Pacific Islander languages. Campaign messages have been targeted to ethnic groups disproportionately affected by diabetes as well as children, teens, and older adults.
  • “The Power to Control Diabetes is in Your Hands” campaign creates awareness of the benefits available for people with diabetes who are Medicare recipients. This campaign educates people who are over age 65 and have diabetes about the importance of the ABCs of diabetes and about the availability of Medicare benefits, such as diabetes-related equipment and supplies, diabetes self-management education, and medical nutrition therapy benefits. Newly revised materials are available in English and Spanish.

  NDEP sponsors other activities developed through NDEP Work Groups represented by members of the Coordinating and Partnership Network:

  NDEP Business and Managed Care Work Group

  Purpose: To increase awareness of the clinical and economic benefits of quality diabetes care, promote prevention through work-site interventions and community involvement, and increase the use of prevention practices. The work group recently updated the diabetesatwork.org Website, a comprehensive Internet resource to help businesses meet the burgeoning diabetes epidemic head on. The site offers the latest trends in disease management, work-site wellness strategies, and a host of other interactive tools for on-the-job diabetes management. Information is available in English and Spanish. It is hosted by the National Business Group on Health.

  NDEP Diabetes in Children and Adolescents Work Group

  Purpose: To address awareness and education issues related to youth with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The work group has developed a wealth of materials; to ensure a safe learning environment and equal access to educational opportunities for all students with diabetes, the work group created Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel, a comprehensive guide to managing diabetes at school. The work group has also developed a series of tip sheets for children with diabetes, covering topics such as being more active, coping with diabetes, eating healthy, staying at a healthy weight, and lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes. The online resource “When Your Child is Diagnosed with Diabetes: Parents Questions for the Health Care Team” outlines questions about diabetes and its management to help families talk with the healthcare team and learn about their child’s diabetes care. The new online resource “Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care” helps teens, their families, and healthcare providers help teens with diabetes make the transition from pediatric to adult care. Additional resources to help healthcare providers and consumers on the topic of diabetes and children are available on the NDEP Website.

  NDEP Evaluation Work Group

  Purpose: To develop a practical plan for evaluating the effectiveness and reach of NDEP. The work group is examining existing data on the state of diabetes in the United States to identify current trends in diabetes prevention and control and strategies to obtain new data to fill existing gaps. The work group has also recently conducted its first “Survey of the Public Attitudes, Knowledge and Practices Related to Diabetes” that will provide insight in program planning and evaluation efforts.

  NDEP Pharmacists, Podiatrists, Optometrists, and Dentists Work Group

  Purpose: To promote the principles of NDEP by using pharmacy, podiatry, optometry, and dentistry organizations and providers to increase awareness of and access to quality care for people with diabetes. Working Together to Manage Diabetes: A Guide for Pharmacists, Podiatrists, Optometrists and Dental Professionals is the newly revised interdisciplinary primer focusing on diabetes-related conditions affecting the foot, eye, and mouth, as well as issues related to drug therapy management. An accompanying poster, available in English and Spanish, can be used by healthcare professionals to educate patients with diabetes. Working Together to Manage Diabetes: Diabetes Medications Supplement is a reference booklet that provides a snapshot of diabetes medications and medications for controlling glycemia, high blood cholesterol, and blood pressure.

  NDEP Healthcare Provider Work Group

  Purpose: To develop appropriate messages for healthcare providers to promote the importance of controlling diabetes and determine the best strategies for disseminating messages effectively. The work group launched BetterDiabetesCare.nih.gov, a comprehensive Web-based resource to assist with designing and implementing effective systems for diabetes care. The website was designed to help providers, educators, policymakers, planners, and purchasers make changes in systems of care for people with diabetes, leading to better outcomes. The site also provides models for system changes, examples of best practices, and links to many resources and references to assist with system changes. Continuing education credits are now available for healthcare professionals using the website.

  NDEP Older Adults Work Group

  The Older Adults work group develops diabetes education, materials, and messages appropriate for people aged 60 and older. The Older Adults work group recently updated “The Power to Control Diabetes is in Your Hands” campaign, with updated information on comprehensive control for people with diabetes and information on the newest benefits for Medicare beneficiaries.

  NDEP African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Asian American Work Groups

  The NDEP ethnic/minority work groups develop and promote culturally appropriate diabetes education materials and messages for their communities. The work groups have representatives from a variety of organizations that represent and reach the target audience and help deliver messages through trusted community channels. Work groups help to tailor diabetes control and prevention messages that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the target audience for all NDEP campaigns and activities.

• Meetings:
  
  NDEP Coordinating Committee: Two or three times/year (spring/fall)
  
  NDEP Operations Committee: Two times/year (spring/fall)
  
  NDEP Partnership Meeting: Biannual

• Publications:
  
  NDEP has a wide variety of educational materials for people with diabetes and their families; healthcare providers; and community, business, and managed care organizations. Visit the website at http://ndep.nih.gov and go to the publications order form to obtain the latest materials.

Date Last Updated
October 2010