Transitioning to Telehealth during COVID-19: Experiences and Insights from Diabetes Prevention and Management Program Providers in Los Angeles County
Sally L. Bullock,
Telma Menendez,
Liz Schwarte,
Lisa Craypo,
Jennifer T. Mosst,
Gabrielle Green,
Noel C. Barragan,
Tony Kuo
Affiliations
Sally L. Bullock
Department of Public Health, Davidson College, Box 7135, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
Telma Menendez
Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 3530 Wilshire Blvd, 8th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010, USA
Liz Schwarte
Ad. Lucem Consulting, 729 Coventry Rd., Kensington, CA 94707, USA
Lisa Craypo
Ad. Lucem Consulting, 729 Coventry Rd., Kensington, CA 94707, USA
Jennifer T. Mosst
Public Health Consultant, Healthified Consulting Services, Box 671793, Marietta, GA 30006, USA
Gabrielle Green
Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 3530 Wilshire Blvd, 8th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010, USA
Noel C. Barragan
Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 3530 Wilshire Blvd, 8th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010, USA
Tony Kuo
Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 accelerated the efforts of several organizations providing the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) and the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program to rapidly transition from in-person service delivery to program administration via telehealth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 National DPP and DSMES experts and providers in Los Angeles County to gain a better understanding of the challenges and benefits associated with this transition. Interviews were completed during June to October 2021. Thematic analyses were performed using the Social-Ecological Model as a guiding framework. The analyses revealed several factors that influenced the transition, including at the individual (e.g., technology and health behaviors), interpersonal (e.g., social connections and support), organizational (e.g., provider workload and program enrollment and retention), community (e.g., recruitment), and policy (e.g., government support and reimbursement for telehealth services) levels. Findings suggest that the transition to telehealth was challenging for most National DPP and DSMES providers. However, because of its lower cost, ability to reach long distances virtually, and potential efficiency when employed as part of a hybrid approach, this delivery modality remains viable, offering benefits beyond the traditional program models.
