Continuing Education Opportunities
- The Massachusetts Medical Society offers 1.0 CME Credit by completing the Engaging Physicians and Care Teams in Preventing Diabetes Webinar.
- The American Medical Association offers 1.0 CME credit to help providers identify and prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes through an online training module.
Screen. Test. Act Today.TM Prevent Diabetes STAT
About 1 in every 3 adult Americans has prediabetes. For adults aged 65 years and older 1 in every 2 has prediabetes. In Massachusetts, there may be as many as 1.8 million adults who have prediabetes. Prediabetes can be diagnosed and patients need to know before it’s too late!
Download the complete STAT Toolkit.
Screen
Providers can screen their patients for prediabetes. There are a number of resources as part of the Prevent Diabetes STAT site to help you integrate screening into your practice. Here are a couple items to get started.
- Use the CDC Online Prediabetes Risk Test for patients in your waiting or exam room to help them self-assess their own risk
- Refer to the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes - 2016
- Share CDC Diabetes: Getting Tested with patients for information on what to expect
Test
Test patients for prediabetes using one of three blood tests. Based on those tests, inform the patient of their diagnosis and what they can do. Here are a few helpful algorithms to get started:
- DPH Screening Algorithm
- STAT Point-of-care Prediabetes Identification Algorithm
- STAT Retrospective Prediabetes Identification Algorithm
Also, please note that the ICD-10 (R73.03) code now allows you to diagnose prediabetes, making it easier to identify patients and intervene.
Act Today
Refer patients with prediabetes to a Diabetes Prevention Program, which is designed to help participants reduce calories and increase physical activity. Check out the Programs in Massachusetts page for a full list of locations and contact information.
The evidence-based model has shown that, by losing just five to seven percent of body weight, a person can reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 58%. The yearlong program is led by a trained lifestyle coach and takes one year to complete. The first six months they will meet once a week to get started. Then for the next six months they meet one time each month to stay on track. Some insurance companies will cover the fee, which ranges from $400-$500.Participants will need to contact their insurance company to find out or contact the DPP provider directly to see if they qualify for reduced fees based on income.
Resources for Providers
- Prediabetes Provider Fact Sheet (PDF): A summary for healthcare providers of the current evidence behind prediabetes screening, prevention and treatment through lifestyle change programs
- Prediabetes Provider Fact Sheet (DOC)
- The Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse provides a number of FREE resources for people about prediabetes and diabetes
- Up-to-date Program Listing and Schedule: Visit the Healthy Living Center of Excellence for a list of programs, contact information and schedule
- List of DPP Programs in Massachusetts
- The Massachusetts Medical Society offers 1.0 CME Credit by completing the Engaging Physicians and Care Teams in Preventing Diabetes Webinar