Beyond the Book: Diabetes Education that Works

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Attrition Busters

By Donna Rice

Program attrition, or patient drop out, is a significant issue for diabetes education centers and it creates problems for both the program as well as the individual with diabetes. As diabetes educators we are charged with maintaining program volume and revenue as well as obtaining improved clinical and behavioral outcomes for our clients. We must embrace tactics and strategies to engage participants in order to accomplish goals, decrease attrition, and maintain program solvency. Four key strategies are as follows:

1. Outcome driven education: What's in it for me? – To be effective, diabetes education must be personalized. We have all heard the phrase that individuals do not want to know about diabetes – they want to know about their diabetes. Showing the patient “what’s in it for me?” is the essential ingredient for success. Diabetes educators and the participant must together establish an education plan that identifies specific goals and outcomes the individual wants to accomplish. Ongoing follow-up and support must reinforce and solidify these accomplishments. Turning knowledge into action is the ultimate goal of an outstanding education program.

2. Incentives – A unique strategy that diabetes educators can use to decrease attrition is an incentive program. This is a great way to reward positive behavior. Educators throughout the country have embraced different tactics to entice individuals into class completion. Some strategies include giveaways such as cookbooks, pedometers, gift certificates, and movie theatre tickets. These simple prizes are a fun way to build rapport and get individuals to want to finish class.

Another strategy is to include additional programming around chronic disease such as support groups, cooking classes, and exercise programs free of charge to all participants who complete class. This will give educators an opportunity to do follow up as well as fulfill the requirement for ongoing support. Lastly, a graduation party and certificates of completion post class have been a fun and effective tool to decrease attrition. A simple certificate can easily be made on your computer and framed very inexpensively. Certificates are a great way to empower individuals and instill a feeling of accomplishment. Making learning fun yields big rewards for all.

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