Ten Years of the National Diabetes Prevention Program: Scaling the Lifestyle Change Program across the United States

ABSTRACT

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a public-private partnership to build a nationwide delivery system for an evidence-based lifestyle change program (LCP) proven to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes. Using data collected through the Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program (DPRP) , which certifies programs as official National DPP sites since 2012, this study shows how programmatic milestones have impacted enrollment trends over the past years. At the end of 2012, only 13 states had enrolled participants, with the highest number reported by MT (269) . By 2013, the number of states with programs increased to 41, with the highest number of enrollees reported by OH (931) and FL (840) . In 2015, online delivery modes were introduced, this allowed participants to enroll in programs located outside of their current states of residence and led, to an increase in enrollment across 50 states and DC. Notable increases were then seen in IL (13 to 670) , KS (9 to 786) , and LA (59 to 1362) . In January 2018, the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) was launched, which allowed eligible Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in the LCP as a covered service. By the end of 2018, in-person (IP) enrollment sharply increased in organizations approved as MDPP suppliers, and large increases in IP enrollment from 2017 to 2018 were seen in AL, MO, NJ, and NV. The ongoing COVID-pandemic significantly impacted National DPP enrollment trends. Most states' online enrollment increased by at least 20% from March 2020 to March 2021, with NC, CO, and NY showing large increases of 176%, 243%, and 590%, respectively. In contrast, CA, DE, and MS had decreases in online enrollment of 7%, 8%, and 26%, respectively. Enrollment trends have proven to be important reflections of milestones in the evolution of the National DPP. Expanding the number of organizations offering the MDPP, as well as those offering virtual delivery, allows the Program to continue to scale.