picture of a mother, daughter and son with caption: EDUCATE, INFORM, COLLABORATE - Discover the Health Disparities Program

EVERY DIABETIC COUNTS

Diabetes is a serious and growing public health concern. It affects 20.9 percent of all people age 60 and older. It is especially prevalent among underserved populations. The diagnoses of diabetes for African American and Hispanic/Latino patients continue to grow and far exceed the diagnoses among their Caucasian counterparts. Compared to Caucasians, African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and Hispanics/Latinos are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed. 2

The Every Diabetic Counts (EDC) program was launched on August 1, 2008. The program provides diabetes self-management education (DSME) training to Medicare beneficiaries. DSME is the ongoing process of facilitating the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for diabetes self-care. This process incorporates the needs, goals, and life experiences of the person with diabetes, and it is guided by evidenced-based standards. The overall objectives of DSME are to support informed decision-making, self-care behaviors, problem-solving, and active collaboration with the health care team to improve clinical outcomes, health status, and quality of life.

There is no cost for this program. The training classes are taught by professionals, including one or more Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) over a designated period of time, and it provides ongoing follow-up assistance and support to participants. Medicare beneficiaries will be educated on nutrition, fitness and medication-monitoring in areas, such as glucose monitoring, HbA1c and lipid levels. The program is currently running in seven states/territories: District of Columbia (D.C.), Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The EDC program approves the following diabetes self-management programs to teach participants how to control their disease and reduce diabetes complications:

  • Project Dulce developed by Scripps Institute, La Jolla, California
  • Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP), developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Stanford Diabetes Self-Management Program: University of Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center

EDC Patient Eligibility Criteria

  • Member of an underserved population
  • Between the ages of 18 and over
  • Medicare beneficiary

EDC Stakeholders

  • CDEs
  • CHWs
  • Community organizations
  • Federal and local agencies
  • Healthcare providers

Benefits to the EDC Partners

  • Share information with policymakers on health disparity issues
  • Provide education on health disparity initiatives and policies
  • Expand health programs
  • Spread messages through publications and media
  • Increase community outreach efforts

Duties of the EDC Partners

  • Act as a trusted source
  • Volunteer to educate the community about diabetes care
  • Serve as a Technical Expert Panel member
  • Develop new channels for community education

To become an EDC partner or join the EDC program in your state, please call:

  • U.S. Virgin Islands

    Virgin Islands Medical Institute, Inc.
    www.viqio.org

  • Office of Minority Health. “Diabetes and African Americans.” Analysis of CDC and AHRQ data. Online. www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=51&ID=3017. Accessed February 6, 2008
  • Office of Minority Health. “Diabetes and Hispanic Americans.” Analysis of CDC and AHRQ data. http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3324

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