ABSTRACT
The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a nationwide delivery system for a lifestyle change program (LCP) proven to prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes. As a result of the COVID-public health emergency (PHE) declared in March 2020, in April 2021, the National DPP distributed a brief survey to approximately 2,000 CDC-recognized organizations to assess how they adjusted program delivery, including actions and strategies taken to navigate delivery during the PHE. 412 responses were received between April and June 2021. 148 paused delivery and 62 remained paused at the time of response. Of those that paused, 1 (74%) reported applying strategies such as phone calls, emails, and texts to keep in contact with participants. Of these, 64% reported they had resumed or restarted their cohorts at the time of response. When asked what influenced the decision to pause cohorts, 63% of organizations that normally deliver in-person, paused due to participant hesitancy toward use of or lack of access to technology. Of the 360 organizations that normally use in-person delivery, 260 reported switching to virtual delivery during the PHE. Of these, more than half reported difficulties in making that transition, mainly due to participant hesitancy to use or lack of access to technology. When asked if any support was provided to participants outside the scope of the LCP, 61% responded no. Of the 39% that did provide support, 84% of responding organizations indicated providing COVID-related support to participants;these were mainly organizations classified as Hospitals/Healthcare Systems/Medical Groups/Physician Practices. Many CDC-recognized organizations may have paused delivery at some point during the PHE, but based on these survey results, plans for future delivery remains strong. With the help of technology and strategies employed, 225 of the 412 organizations that responded indicated they would be starting new cohorts during the PHE.