REDEEM DIABETES DISTRESS TRAINING SEMINARS (RDDTS) 

Please note: Applications for these seminars are currently closed. Please email us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you would like to be put on the waiting list.

Diabetes-related emotional distress, or diabetes distress (DD), encapsulates the emotional reactions to the challenges and burdens of management, perceived threats of long-term complications, concerns about access, costs, and stigma, and a host of other fears and worries associated with living with diabetes. The prevalence of significant DD is high and it is linked to problematic self-management, less time in range, elevated HbA1c, and reduced uptake of new technologies (like CGM), diabetes education, and management interventions. Thus, DD is a significant clinical problem.

Based on recently published clinical studies, RDDTS is a comprehensive, pragmatic, clinic-targeted training program to enhance the skills of diabetes clinicians to systematically assess and intervene to reduce DD among adults with diabetes using practical, time-efficient, evidenced-based assessment tools and methods. RDDTS also includes clinic-based implementation support to facilitate program integration into existing staff roles and patient flow protocols.

BDI staff will lead a live, on-site, one-day clinical skill building workshop, plus post-workshop case-based follow-up for diabetes clinicians, e.g., nurse-educators, RDs, physicians, PAs, pharmacists, etc.. RDDTS is offered at no cost to clinics; it is funded entirely by an unrestricted educational grant. Continuing education credits will be offered.

For more information, please contact info@behavioraldiabetes.org.

RDDTS Program Goals

1. Educate diabetes clinical staff about what DD is, how its presents itself in clinical care, its prevalence, how it affects management, and its impact on uptake of new devices and medications.
2. Teach diabetes clinicians how to use standardized DD assessment tools (with automated scoring and reporting) to assess DD in their T1D patients.
3. Teach practical, time-efficient, evidenced-based clinical skills to reduce DD as part of a brief, practical, point of care, encounter-based intervention. The intervention will provide a platform for clinicians to use CGM as a tool to address DD by identifying DD-related problems and monitoring change over time.
4. Support and facilitate each clinic to design an implementation plan for DD assessment and treatment that takes into account the clinic’s unique culture, staffing, patient flow, etc.

NOTE: Although RDDTS focuses primarily on working with adults with T1D, all of the program content and skill building can easily be applied when addressing DD among adults with T2D.

Participating Clinic/Practice Requirements

1. Qualifying clinics/practices must care for a minimum of 50 adults with type 1 diabetes.
2. A minimum of four and a maximum of 15 clinicians from each clinic/practice must agree to attend the entire program (one-day on site workshop, three virtual follow-up meetings).
3. One clinic/practice must agree to be the “host” clinic for that geographic area, and agree to help recruit other local clinic/practices to assure between 10 and 15 diabetes health care professional (HCP) participants. Thus, a large host clinic/practice may contribute all 10-15 HCP participants, whereas a smaller clinic/practice might contribute four or five, and then recruit other local clinics to reach 10-15 HCP participants.
4. The host clinic must provide the program with facilities to deliver the program: a large workshop room, Internet access, slide projector, etc.
5. The workshop can be delivered during the week or on a Saturday, at the clinic/practice’s discretion.

Costs

1. All program delivery, handouts, resources, and RDDTS training staff costs (including RDDTS staff transportation) will be covered by RDDTS.
2. Clinics will be required to cover costs for the workshop room and clinic staff transportation to the local workshop site.
3. Clinics will provide staff time to attend the workshop and the three post-workshop virtual follow-up meetings.
4. Lunch, coffee, etc. will be funded by the program.