CDC DPRP orients organizations on recognition steps, delivery modes, eligibility and data requirements

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program presenter summarized what organizations must do to become and remain CDC-recognized providers of the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

The presenter said CDC recognition links organizations to national quality standards, enables monitoring through biannual data submissions and can improve reimbursement access from private and public insurers, including Medicare, for organizations that meet DPRP requirements. “It’s important to note that organizations can deliver the program as a CDC-recognized organization only after receiving approval of their DPRP application,” the presenter said.

Organizations should first read the DPRP Standards and Operating Procedures and complete the Organizational Capacity Assessment in Appendix A, the presenter said, to identify readiness gaps before offering classes. The presenter emphasized that an organization’s approval date (the date DPRP approves the application) is not the application submission date; sessions and data collection may begin only on or after the approval date and must begin within six months of the effective date (the first day of the month following approval).

The DPRP requires a full-year cohort offering: at least 16 weekly sessions in the Core phase (first six months) and at least six monthly sessions in the Core Maintenance phase (second six months). Organizations may offer more sessions but data from sessions beyond the minimum are not evaluated. The presenter reiterated that organizations must enroll enough eligible participants to meet minimum participant requirements.

Delivery modes accepted by DPRP include in-person, distance learning (live), in-person with a distance learning component, online (non-live) and combinations that include an online component. The presenter clarified that in-person delivery requires a formally trained Lifestyle Coach physically present in a classroom-like setting; distance learning involves a live coach in one location with participants calling or video conferencing in from other locations. For online (non-live) delivery, content is delivered asynchronously, but DPRP still requires scheduled live interaction between a Lifestyle Coach and participants when participants engage with content. The presenter explicitly stated that “chat bots and AI forums do not count as live Lifestyle Coach interaction.”

On eligibility, the presenter said participants must be adults (18 or older) with a BMI of at least 25 (or at least 23 for Asian or Asian American participants) and must meet at least one risk criterion. Acceptable risk evidence includes a qualifying blood test within the year before enrollment (fasting glucose 100–125 mg/dL, or 110–125 mg/dL for MDPP participants; 2-hour plasma glucose 140–199 mg/dL after a 75 g glucose load; or A1C 5.7–6.4), a clinical diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in a previous pregnancy, or a positive Prediabetes Risk Test (not available to MDPP participants). The presenter noted participants must not be pregnant at enrollment and must not have a prior diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes; health-care referrals are optional, not required.

DPRP recognition categories are Pending, Preliminary, Full and Full Plus. Pending recognition requires meeting DPRP Standards requirements 1–4, including use of a CDC-approved curriculum and agreement to duration and intensity rules. The presenter described several pathways to Preliminary recognition: immediate advancement for organizations serving populations in counties designated high-vulnerability on the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index (if indicated on the application and subsequent capacity assessment), adding a new delivery mode when already recognized in another, or meeting Sequence 1 or 2 attendance thresholds (at least five eligible participants who attended at least eight sessions). If those pathways are not met, organizations achieve Preliminary recognition only after meeting Requirement 5.

To achieve Full recognition, organizations must meet Requirements 1–7. Requirement 5 requires an evaluation cohort of at least five eligible participants whose cohorts began 12–18 months prior to the submission month and at least 30% of eligible participants must be completers. Requirement 6 requires that at least 60% of completers show reduced risk through one of the following within one year: 5% weight loss; or 4% weight loss plus an average of 150 minutes per week of physical activity; or 4% weight loss plus at least 17 sessions attended or a 0.2% reduction in baseline A1C. Requirement 7 requires that at least 35% of completers in the evaluation cohort be eligible based on a qualifying blood test or a history of gestational diabetes. The presenter said organizations that meet Full recognition may remain in Full indefinitely if they continue required biannual data submissions.

Full Plus is the highest recognition level and requires meeting Requirements 1–7 plus additional retention criteria: a minimum of 50% retention at the beginning of the fourth month, 40% at the beginning of the seventh month, and 30% at the beginning of the tenth month for the evaluation cohort, the presenter said.

On data and reporting, the presenter explained organizations submit biannual data starting from the effective date and will receive progress or evaluation reports after each submission, including Summary and Recommendations. To submit data organizations must ensure listed contacts have SAMS registration to access the DPRP Data Portal, format submissions according to the DPRP Data Dictionary and Data Entry Spreadsheet Template, and update their organization profile to enable the Data Submission Module.

The presenter closed by directing organizations to DPRP technical assistance resources: scheduled webinars, the National DPP Customer Service Center (with FAQs, toolkits, training videos and a peer-to-peer forum), and individualized outreach by DPRP team members. “The National DPP Customer Service Center provides a one-stop-shop for resources, training, and technical assistance,” the presenter said. The presentation concluded and the presenter thanked participants.