5285.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - Board 9

Abstract #7963

A Diabetes Awareness Campaign for Medicare Beneficiaries – The National Diabetes Education Program

Mimi Lising, MPH1, James Coan2, Tula Michaelides, MPH3, and Marisabel Sanchez, MPH3. (1) Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Building 31, Room 9A04, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301-435-8116, tmichaelides@iqsolutions.com, (2) Center for Beneficiary Services, Health Care Financing Administration, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S2-11-07, Baltimore, MD 21244, (3) Health Communications Group, IQ Solutions, Inc, 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 801, Rockville, MD 20852

More than 4 million Medicare beneficiaries suffer from diabetes, a debilitating disease that -- if left uncontrolled -- often leads to complications such as kidney disease, nerve damage, blindness, lower limb amputation, heart disease and stroke. These problems can be delayed or prevented by improving blood sugar control through regular blood glucose monitoring. Under the National Diabetes Education Program, a public awareness campaign was initiated to educate Medicare beneficiaries about the importance of regular blood glucose monitoring, and a new Medicare benefit that covers blood glucose monitoring equipment and supplies. This campaign included strategic planning, partnership development, creation of consumer materials, technical assistance to local communities, and development and distribution of media products. The campaign is sponsored by the NDEP, a joint effort of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to describe the development and components of a public awareness campaign to educate Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes about controlling their disease, and about expanded diabetes benefits under Medicare; and to list the various components of the awareness campaign, including strategic planning, partnership development, creation of consumer materials, technical assistance to local communities, and development and distribution of media products

Keywords: Diabetes, Medicare

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA