Last Updated: December 14, 2022

Author: Diabetes Program, Vermont Department of Health

The sharp decline in Diabetes Prevention workshop (DPP) completers from Q1 2020 to Q2 2020 is due to the COVID-19 pandemic; workshops set to be held in-person during Q2 2020 were abruptly canceled and regional coordinators (RCs) worked to switch some workshops from an in-person format to a distance learning format. By Q3 2020, all DPP workshops had switched to a distance learning format and RCs were collaborating with RCs from other health service areas (HSAs) to consolidate and fill existing classes with registrants from all around the state, rather than running many localized workshops with lower participation. This has continued through Q4 2020 and into all quarters of 2021. The flexibility of online workshops is allowing for a higher average number of completers per workshop held; Q4 2021 saw an average of 13 completers per DPP workshop versus average of 8 completers per DPP workshop in Q1 2020, despite a similar number of completers overall for both quarters (63 to 57, respectively).

The Vermont Department of Health Heart Disease and Diabetes program took on management of the MyHealthyVT self-management workshops in fall of 2021 from the Vermont Blueprint for Health. During this time of transition, the VDH team has been working with regional coordinators on cross-region collaboration through statewide workshops serving more Vermonters.

Data through Q4 2021 is from the Vermont Blueprint for Health Data Portal.

• Statewide Regional Coordinators from partnering HSAs
• MyHealthyVT Workshop Facilitators
• Vermont Blueprint for Health
• Support and Services at Home (SASH)
• HARK Web Design
• Community Health Improvement (CHI)

Vermont Department of Health (VDH) uses BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) data to determine the number of Vermonters at risk for diabetes. These self-reported data underrepresent the prevalence of prediabetes. Most people (90%) affected are not aware of their condition. Marketing plans to consumers and providers continue to raise awareness of the problem and available programs; this leads to increased access for qualifying Vermonters. VDH relies on Community Health Improvement for data about program participants. VDH partners with primary care providers at select practices to implement quality improvement initiatives that utilize electronic medical records to identify patients suitable for program referral. 

In 2019 VDH Staff members will:

1. Work with Community Health Improvement and Blueprint to share resources in marketing and collecting data.

2. Work with Community Health Improvement to analyze registration, participation and completion data as part of continuous program evaluation efforts.

3. Work with HARK (marketing-communications contractors) to refine/improve the website http://myhealthyvt.org/ and purchase, develop and distribute media, including a new video short, illustrating the DPP benefits and class structure ("session 0").

4. Consider how we may use the resources available from the relatively new national site: https://doihaveprediabetes.org/ .

5. Work with the Vermont Blueprint for Health and Community Health Improvement to develop a comprehensive evaluation that will illustrate participant changes in patient activation, diabetes biomarkers and healthcare utilization.