Better Choices, Better Health® - Diabetes or Healthier Living With Diabetes (Internet Diabetes Self-Management Program)

About

Better Choices, Better Health™, previously named Self-Management @ Stanford Healthier Living with Ongoing Health Problems, is an online workshop given entirely on the Internet.
Groups of about 25 people with type 2 diabetes participate together.
Workshops are facilitated by two trained facilitators, one or both of whom are peers with diabetes themselves.
Each workshop is 6 weeks with new lessons each week.
Participants are asked to log on at their convenience 2-3 times each week for a total of about 2 hours/week.
There are no requirements that participants log in at the same time.
Sessions are highly participative through internal messaging and online discussion boards, where mutual support and success builds the participants' confidence in their ability to manage their health and maintain active and fulfilling lives.
The process of both the online and community-based workshops are based on the experience of the investigators and others with self-efficacy, the confidence one has that he or she can master a new skill or affect one's own health.
The content of the workshop was the result of focus groups with people with chronic health problems, in which the participants discussed which content areas were the most important to them.
The companion book for the workshop is Living a Healthy Life With Chronic Conditions, 4th Edition.

Subjects

Healthy eating and menu planning
Managing blood glucose
Techniques to deal with problems such as fatigue, frustration and isolation
Appropriate exercise for managing blood glucose and for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance
Appropriate use of medications
Communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals
Goal-setting
Disease-related problem solving

More Information

Contact Canary Health

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Program replace existing programs and treatments?

The online workshop will not conflict with existing programs or treatment. It is designed to enhance regular treatment and disease-specific diabetes education. In addition, many people with diabetes have additional chronic conditions . The program is especially helpful for these people, as it gives them the skills to coordinate all the things needed to manage their health, as well as to help them keep active in their lives.

How was the Program developed?

The workshop is the online version of the community-based Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), which was developed and and evaluated as part of a randomized, controlled study. The research study wass funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It was based on our experience with the Healthier Living With Ongoing Health Problems online workshop.

How was the online program evaluated?

We recruited about 760 adult study participants in 2006-2007, which included 110 American Indian/Alaska Natives. All participants had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and lived in the United States. Qualified participants were randomly assigned to either participate in the workshop or to a control group. The control group received gift certificates with each data collection point and the book used in the workshop at the end of their participation. Both groups complete 4 home blood tests for A1C and online questionnaires about their health status, health care utilization, self-efficacy and self-management behaviors over a 2-year period.

What were the results?

At 6 months, A1C, patient activation, and self-efficacy were improved for program participants compared with usual care control subjects. There were no changes in other health or behavioral indicators. The American Indian/Alaska Native program participants demonstrated improvements in health distress and activity limitation compared with usual-care control subjects. The subgroup with initial A1C greater than 7 demonstrated stronger improvement in A1C. At 18 months, self-efficacy and patient activation were improved for program participants. A1C was not measured at 18 months.

Is the program being offered?

Canary Health has licensed the Better Choices, Better Health® - Diabetes program. See the Canary Health website for more information. If you are a participant and would like to take part in a workshop, please email diabetes@selfmanage.org.