We are delighted to announce the launch of the newly expanded and rebranded JHM Diabetes Prevention and Education Program (DPEP).
In partnership with the Office of Population Health and under the leadership of Dr. Nisa Maruthur, associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, and Dr. Nestoras Mathioudakis, associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology, the DPEP was developed as part of a five-year, HSCRC-funded initiative to increase participant attendance in two evidence-based, under-utilized programs: the CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and the ADA's Diabetes Self-Management Training Program (DSMT).
The DPP is a 12-month long lifestyle change for people with overweight/obesity and prediabetes focused on at least 5 percent weight loss and at least 150 min/week of moderate intensity physical activity. Led by CDC-certified lifestyle coaches, outcomes for the Johns Hopkins DPP include retention of 70 percent of participants and average weight loss of 5.4 percent at 12 months. Under the leadership of Program Director Megan Brown, the DPP has undergone a wide expansion, with additional DPP sites and group class offerings throughout Baltimore City.
DSMT is a structured program for patients with diabetes that covers all of the skills needed to self-manage diabetes from nutrition education to diabetes physiology to device use. Led by Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, patients receive a tailored program suited for their specific needs. Patients should be referred for DSMT at the time of diagnosis of diabetes, when diabetes is uncontrolled, when new complications develop, at transitions of care, and any other time that challenges for diabetes self-management arise. The DSMT program has undergone significant expansion throughout JHM under the leadership of Program Manager Eugene Arnold, MS, RD, CDCES, and Director of Intervention, Caitlin Nass, MSN, CRNP.
By providing comprehensive education and support for our patients with prediabetes and diabetes, the DPEP aims to reduce rates of diabetes in our communities and improve the quality of diabetes care for those we serve. You can refer to the DPP and DSMT today with a quick Epic referral. Please visit the DPEP website to find patient information as well as resources for providers to refer patients.
