How to Improve Type 2 Diabetes Outcomes Nationwide

Excerpted from article published in "Corporate Wellness Magazine," February 2011, Vol. 19, by this blog author.

Workplace wellness programs are stepping up to the plate during this healthcare crisis, helping thousands across the country to prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. What impact, however, are they making on those who already have the disease? Wellness programs are currently focused on diabetes prevention, under-serving a large segment of employees who are on an accelerated course toward body-wide destruction. It is imperative that we improve medical outcomes for those who already have diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health, diabetes treatment costs the U.S. a total of $174 billion annually; $58 billion of which includes indirect costs such as disability payments, lost productivity, and premature death.

The National Institutes of Health 2008 Fact Sheet on Type 2 Diabetes offers guidance towards making workplace wellness programs effective for persons with diabetes. They encourage personalized treatment strategies to tighten control on glucose, blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. These goals are a challenge to implement in the workplace due to the complexities of the disease and its treatment.
Type 2 diabetes is a multi-faceted disease that involves layers of interconnecting treatment strategies. Medical patient education attempts to synthesize and simplify these complex concepts; providing skills and tools needed to manage the disease and prevent disease advancement. To better understand the complexities, consider the following self-care behavioral goals taught in ten hours of diabetes self-management training.
Healthy Eating
Being Active
Monitoring
Taking Medications
Problem Solving
Reducing Risks
Healthy Coping

Online diabetes self-management training is the principle means by which workplace wellness companies can meet the needs of this challenging group of people. Dr. Mark Peyrot's report documents that 59% of diabetes patients reported they would learn diabetes self-management training on the internet. Unlike traditional classes, online learning is reasonably priced and allows for group price reductions. Diabetes members can receive interactive skill practice and learning with all of the tools and support needed to defeat pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome from the convenience of their own homes. The diabetes self-management training portal can even be customized to include the company name and be added to the company's website, appearing seamless to the learner. Patient-centered diabetes self-management training provides the foundation upon which corporate wellness strategies become effective.

How can we improve medical outcomes for employees who already have diabetes? Workplace wellness companies seeking to significantly improve their medical outcomes and position themselves ahead of the competition must find diabetes self-management training programs with which to partner in order to make a difference in the lives of employees with diabetes. Online learning programs, in particular, fill the current training gap with patient-focused learning and company-centered logistics.

Read the article in its entirety: www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com