Factors in Placement and Enrollment of Primary Care Patients in YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program, Bronx, New York, 2010-2015.

INTRODUCTION: The reach of the New York State YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) to at-risk populations may be increased through integration with primary care settings. Although considerable effort has been made in the referral and retention of patients, little is known about the factors associated with the placement of potential participants into YMCA's DPP. METHODS: Among Montefiore Health System (MHS) patients referred to YMCA's DPP (n = 1,249) from July 10, 2010, through November 11, 2015, we identified demographic factors (eg, age, preferred language) and primary care practice-level factors (eg, time between referral and start of session, session season) associated with placement into a session and subsequent drop-out. We also evaluated factors associated with weight loss. RESULTS: Patients were predominantly female (71%) and aged 45 years or older (71%). Patients preferring sessions in Spanish were less often placed in sessions. Patients aged 18 to 44 years were less often placed (P = .01) and enrolled (P = .001) than patients aged 60 years or older. Sessions conducted in the summer and spring had higher enrollment than fall and winter months. Patients who started the YMCA's DPP within 2 months of their referral date were more often enrolled (54.4%) than patients who waited 4 or more months (21.6%) to start their sessions. Patients aged 45 to 59 years lost marginally less weight than those aged 60 years or older (-3.1% vs -3.8%; P = .07). CONCLUSION: Although this evaluation gives some insight into the barriers to placement and enrollment in YMCA's DPP, challenges remain. Efforts are under way to increase referral of patients to community-based DPPs.

The Reach of an Urban Hospital System-Based Diabetes Prevention Program: Patient Engagement and Weight Loss Characteristics.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify patient and program delivery characteristics associated with engagement and weight loss in a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) implemented in an urban hospital system. METHODS: Patient and program delivery data were collected between July 2015 and December 2017. DPP eligibility was determined based on age, body mass index (BMI), and hemoglobin A1C data via the electronic health record. Engagement was measured at 3 levels: ≤3 sessions, 4 to 8 sessions, and ≥9 sessions. Weight was measured at each DPP session. RESULTS: Among the eligible patients (N = 31 524), referrals and engagement were lower in men than women, in Spanish speakers than English speakers, in younger (18-34 years) and middle-aged (35-54 years) than older adults, and in patients receiving Medicaid than other patients. Referral and engagement were higher in patients with higher BMIs and those prescribed ≥5 medications. Current smokers were less frequently engaged. Prior health care provider contact was associated with higher engagement. Overall, 28% of DPP participants achieved ≥5% weight loss; younger and middle-aged patients and those who gained weight in the prior 2 years were less likely to lose weight. CONCLUSION: This assessment identified characteristics of patients with lower levels of referral and engagement. The DPP staff may need to increase outreach to address barriers to referral and during all points of engagement among men, younger patients, and Spanish speakers. Future research is needed to increase understanding with regard to why referrals and engagement are lower among these groups.

Lessons from Launching the Diabetes Prevention Program in a Large Integrated Health Care Delivery System: A Case Study.

There is urgent need for health systems to prevent diabetes. To date, few health systems have implemented the evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), and the few that have mostly partnered with community-based organizations to implement the program. Given the recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reimburse for diabetes prevention, there is likely much interest in how such programs can be implemented within large health systems or how community partnerships can be expanded to support DPP implementation. Beginning in 2010, Montefiore Health System (MHS), a large health care system in the Bronx, NY, partnered with the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Greater New York to deliver the YMCA's DPP. Over 4 years, 1390 referrals to YMCA's DPP were made; 287 participants attended ≥3 classes, and average weight loss was 3.4%. Because of increased patient demand and internal capacity, MHS assumed responsibility for DPP implementation in May 2015. Fully integrating the program within the health system took 5-6 months, including configuring electronic health record templates/reports, hiring a coordinator, and creating clinical referral workflows/training guides. Billing workflows were designed for risk-based contracts. In the first 11 months of implementation, 1277 referrals were made, and referrals increased over time. Twenty-four class cycles were initiated, and 282 patients began attending classes. Average weight loss among 61 graduates from the Summer/Fall 2015 wave of MDPP classes was 3.8%. Additional opportunities for expansion include training allied health staff, providing patient incentives, increasing master trainer capacity, offering DPP to employees, and securing reimbursement.