How A Digital Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Complements an In-person CDSMP
Partners in Care is an innovator at the nexus of healthcare and social services. The foundation’s achievements lie in two areas: Care transitions/community care coordination work (transitioning patients between clinical and home), and health-enhancement programs.
Partners in Care has been providing evidence-based programs on a local and statewide basis for over 10 years. As part of the initiative with Canary Health, Partners has developed a statewide network of Stanford’s chronic disease self-management program Better Choices, Better Health® in 18 counties across the state.
Dianne Davis, Senior Director, Health Self-Management Services, shared insights on how the digital CDSMP complements their in-person offering.
Canary Health: How does a joint in-person, digital CDSMP offering provide additional value to participants?
Dianne: People operate in different ways; the positives of offering both in-person and online versions are that we meet the needs of both those who prefer the face-to-face social setting of the in-person program, and those with internet access who prefer the convenience and comfort of their own home.
Partners in Care offers 3 modalities of the CDSMP: in-person, online and a toolkit. The in-person and online programs are offered to patients initially and equally. If a patient doesn’t opt for either, they are then offered a toolkit. Simply put, offering multiple options meets the needs of more patients and increases patient engagement.
Canary Health: How does the joint in-person digital offering provide value to health plans and organizations?
Dianne: Health plans, community organizations and those in disease management want as many people as possible to go to programming. That means accommodating their members and their variety of needs. If there is a large Medicare population transportation issues may exist. A digital and in-person offering provides as many options as possible to get there.
Canary Health: Your website features some touching participant stories from the chronic disease self-management program. Is there a particular story that illustrates the benefits of Better Choices, Better Heath?
Dianne: I led a diabetes workshop for a while. At the initial workshop there was one woman who didn’t want to be there, and she was very vocal about it. She had tried similar programs before and felt there was nothing new to learn. By the 3rd or 4th session, the group learned members of her family had suffered through terrible situations with diabetes. It was through this sharing amongst the group that things began to turn around. By the end of the 6 weeks, she said it was the best class on diabetes that she’d ever been to. She was hearing things from other people she had never heard before and understanding them in a way she never did before. She ended up asking to make a donation to the program! It was incredible. I think it was the sharing that goes on more than the specific facts that impacted her. When the group brainstorms or problem-solves to figure out what works for an individual it’s much different than a didactic model where you’re being told what to do. You’re figuring it out for yourself with the help of others. It’s a very organic process.
For more information on Better Choices, Better Health, read the Huffington Post article on the program.
About the Referenced Study in The Press Release
The above referenced study, “Benefits of Diabetes Self-Management for Health Plan Members: A 6-Month Translation Study” by Kate Lorig, DrPH; Phillip L. Ritter, PhD; Ralph M. Turner, PhD; Kathleen English, MBA; Diana D. Laurent, MPH; Jay Greenberg, ScD, was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (Volume 8, Issue 6) in July 2016. Click here for the complete study.
STUDY UPDATES
*For the most recent updates to the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) study mentioned in the attached press release, at the 12 month mark, click here.
**For the third study done which shows the decreased utilization and cost-savings outcomes for the same program based on a 12 month study, click here.
