Implementing Digital Diabetes Prevention Programmes to promote patient engagement and scale up.

Claire Haseldine is a student on the Collaborative Doctoral Programme in Chronic Disease Prevention (CDP CDP) funded by the Irish Health Board.  Her PhD project (2020-2024) will focus on the implementation of the National Diabetes Prevention Programme and ways to support participation in and scale up of the programme.  The project is supervised by Dr Sheena McHugh UCC, Professor Patricia Kearney UCC and Dr Grainne O Donoghue UCD.

Why are we doing this research?

Type 2 diabetes is a serious chronic disease which places a significant burden on individuals and on health systems. Large scale studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented in those who are at high risk of developing the disease by participating in lifestyle change programmes. Many people must take part in the programme for it to impact significantly on the rates of people developing diabetes.

Research is needed to understand why people do or do not participate in diabetes prevention programmes and how to improve that participation in a way that includes those who need it the most.

What is involved?

The project will consist of three studies:

1.  A mixed methods study to understand the reasons people do and do not participate in the national diabetes prevention programme.

2. A systematic review to identify the best ways to promote participation and uptake in digital diabetes prevention  programmes and to examine their impact on health inequalities.

3. A co-design study involving people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes, healthcare professionals and with managers in the health system to develope and engagement plan to support the roll out of the National Digital Diabetes Prevention Programme.

Diabetes Prevention Project Outputs

Research Summaries

• Collaborative Doctoral Programme for Chronic Disease Prevention (CDP CDP) Blog