A Formative Evaluation of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Within the Virtual Medical Center

Abstract

The Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program provides education and medical monitoring of diabetes to Veterans through the Virtual Medical Center (VMC). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 key stakeholders (4-DSMES VMC trainers, 5-clinical faculty, and 6-Veterans) from across Ohio urban and rural populations for up to 1h about their experiences using the program and suggestions for improvement. All the Veterans interviewed were able to access care within the DSMES VMC and reported a positive experience using the program, and improved diabetes self-management. Other stakeholders suggested more administrative and technical support for the DSMES VMC to increase awareness for VA staff and Veterans of the program to improve recruitment, and to shift to a web-based platform that is more easily accessible by clicking a link to reduce technical issues with downloading the program. These findings can inform future implementation efforts using technology to increase access to care allowing better health education for Veterans.