Approximately 38% of Medicare beneficiaries who are eligible for diabetes self-management training —potentially representing 3.9 million people— lacked the digital resources necessary to receive the full-service virtual program, according to a new study shared today during the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists annual conference in New Orleans.
The noteworthy interdisciplinary study was led by Boon Peng Ng, health economist and associate professor at UCF’s College of Nursing. Recognizing this outstanding work in the scientific area of diabetes care and education, Ng was honored by the association with the 2024 Research Award.
“Although covered by Medicare, utilization of diabetes self-management education and support has been low, particularly in rural communities,” Ng says. “Telehealth delivery of the program has the potential to address this gap.”
The study examined whether sociodemographic characteristics and health status were associated with access to digital resources, such as a computer, laptop, tablet and internet.
“Disparities were observed based on race and ethnicity, income, education, and where individuals lived,” he says.
“This affects a beneficiary’s ability to receive the full service of the virtual program, impacting not only the success of the program, but also the patient’s health outcomes,” he says.
It is estimated that 29% of Americans ages 65 years and older are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. In addition, 48% in that same age group have prediabetes, accounting for more than 27 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Through the study, Ng says he hopes healthcare providers begin to screen beneficiaries on their access to digital resources and assist those who have difficulty by identifying low-cost local digital resources or referrals to in-person support.
“Tailored efforts to reduce the digital divide to improve accessibility, affordability, adoption and technology literacy among Medicare beneficiaries will require community, public and private sector involvement,” he says.
The other researchers on the study are Jacqueline LaManna from UCF’s College of Nursing, Georgianne Tiu Hawkins from the University of Kentucky and Chanhyun Park with The University of Texas at Austin.
Ng and his team also have identified that this isn’t the only Medicare diabetes program impacted by a digital divide. The virtual Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP), which seeks to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes for at-risk beneficiaries, has similar gaps.
Approximately 30%, or around six million, Americans who are potentially eligible for the virtual MDPP lack full digital access, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine .
In addition to his faculty appointment at the College of Nursing, Ng is a member of UCF’s interdisciplinary Disability, Aging and Technology faculty cluster initiative. Prior to UCF, he was a Steven M. Teutsch Prevention Effectiveness fellow at the CDC. He continues to serve.
