The program helps people with diabetes learn the 11,744 per person with diabetes, for an annual the skills needed to e ectively manage diabetes are …
Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes
http://fcstamuedu/health/type_2_diabetes/type_2_diabetesphp
The Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes program covers basic nutrition and self-care management topics The program helps people with diabetes learn the skills needed to manage their disease successfully growing population of Hispanics/Latinos, who are at a greater risk for the disease
Response
Extension health professionals developed Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes, a low-cost class series covering nine self-care and nutrition topics delivered in five sessions The program was pilot tested in 2002 in 12 counties It is offered in 70B75 counties annually Class materials include a curriculum consistent with the American Diabetes Association Standards of Care along with PowerPoint7 presentations, videos, a complete marketing package, and an evaluation program County agents are trained to organize local health professionals to help plan, market, and provide the class series The programs primary goal is to improve blood glucose management
Relevance
The number of Americans with diabetes is 21 million The incidence is projected to increase 43 percent by 2020 Health care costs now average 11,744 per person
with diabetes, for an annual total cost of 174 billion in the US C 116 billion 70 percent for health care and 58 billion 30 percent in lost productivity Men with diabetes miss an average of 11 work days each year; women miss about 9 work days Almost 1 of every 5 spent on health care is for people with diabetes Poor diabetes management leads to increased health care costs People with diabetes who maintain their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers within recommended ranges can keep their costs, health risks, quality of life, and productivity very close to those without the disease Currently, however, only 7 percent of people with diabetes are at the recommended levels Diabetes is not curable, but it is manageable While the skills needed to effectively manage diabetes are well documented, diabetes education is not readily available The burdens of diabetes mismanagement are disproportionately borne by those with little or no insurance coverage, lower literacy, poor or no English skills, lower educational and income levels, and poor access to transportation The annual cost of diabetes in Texas is estimated at 125 billion An estimated 8 percent of Texans 18 years old
or older are diagnosed with diabetes; another 400,000 have diabetes but do not know it Texas is projected to have a greater incidence rate and increased costs in the future due to the
Results
In 2007, 1,724 people with diabetes registered for classes; 1,122 65 percent completed the five week series and the Wrap-Up or post-test; 170 10 percent returned for the Six Month Follow Up The classes were provided in 74 counties The average age of participants was 61; 208 were African American, 12 Asian, 263 Hispanic/ Latino, 38 Native American, 1,174 Caucasian, and 
14 other 1,153 67 percent participants reported having no previous diabetes classes, indicating a critical need for diabetes education 469 27 percent reported having diabetes less than one year; 1,039 60 percent reported having diabetes between 1B4 years; and 99 6 percent reported having diabetes for 5 or more years 735 43 percent reported receiving no meal plan from their doctor; 289 17 percent were advised to count carbohydrates; and 266 15 percent were advised to avoid sweets or adding sugar
Participants reported their blood glucose was 132 mg/dL at the beginning of classes, decreasing to 123 mg/dL at 5 weeks, and to
121 mg/dL at 6 months 135 reporting 87 percent of participants rated the classes as excellent
Before and After Class Blood Glucose Levels
134 132 130 128 126 124 122 120 118 116 114 Beginning 5-weeks 6-months
Ive been told for years to read labels, but I never knew what I was supposed to read Im now reading all my labels since I know what to look for
132 123 121
Economic Impact The potential health care cost savings, resulting from improved management of diabetes by 2007 participants is an estimated 120 million for their remaining years of life Success Stories I have been to several other diabetes classes, and I thought I knew everything I didnt I have learned a lot Due to the education classes, I have lowered my blood sugar from the 300s to 89 Being a nurse, I have both taught and attended a variety of diabetes education classes I found this class to be realistic and easy to grasp When I visited my doctor, I had the best A1C reading Id ever had Thanks for all your hard work I never realized the importance of exercise I began walking every morning five weeks ago, and my blood sugar has dropped so much that my doctor told me to quit taking my morning diabetes medication I
must be doing something right because this morning my blood sugar was the best its ever been 2 days after last class
Texas Counties Implementing the Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes Curriculum in 2007
Coalitions in 73 Counties Member Type Nurses Nurse practitioners Dietitians Physicians Pharmacists Physician assistants Physical therapists Podiatrists People with diabetes Social workers Health educators Certified Diabetes Educators Optomotrists Clergy Other Total Number of Professionals Number 131 21 99 53 44 9 20 15 99 10 74 2 11 14 59 661
Leadership provided by Dr Carol Rice, Extension Health SpecialistCFamily Development and Resource Management; and Dr Mary Bielamowicz, Extension Nutrition SpecialistCDepartment of Nutrition and Food Science 2008 For more information: crice@agtamuedu or 9798453877; m-bielamowicz@tamuedu or 979847-9227
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin The Texas AM University System, US Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
