My Diabetes Tutor, the first telehealth diabetes education program in California to receive national accreditation, is now the only virtual diabetes education provider credentialed to accept Medi-Cal patients. Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid healthcare program, will pay 100 percent of each patient’s cost for My Diabetes Tutor’s diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program. DSMES programs have resulted in measurably improved clinical and behavioral outcomes, including significantly lower A1C and LDL cholesterol, and lower healthcare expenses.
My Diabetes Tutor (MDT) provides comprehensive, accessible diabetes education, coaching and resources, empowering individuals with diabetes to effectively manage their condition and enhance their overall well-being. MDT’s virtual education and support are tailored to individuals with type I and type 2 diabetes and diabetes in pregnancy, and services are offered in multiple languages. While the MDT program is comprehensive, its services are personalized to the health status and requirements of each person, including education, monitoring, device management and one-on-one coaching. MDT’s Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (CDCES) help individuals improve their skills and confidence in effectively self-managing this intricate condition. Participant satisfaction remains consistently high, with 100 percent of those completing the MDT program rating the curriculum and the CDCES team as “Good” or “Very Good” (the highest ratings possible).
More than one out of every two California adults (55% or 15.5 million people) have diabetes or prediabetes, and rural Californians can struggle with access to healthcare resources and education. Despite diabetes education’s proven success in helping patients manage their health and avoid complications, less than 7 percent of those with private insurance and 5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries receive diabetes education in the first year after diagnosis. The situation is worse in underserved populations due to limited availability, access, and language and transportation barriers.
Revamping traditional diabetes education delivered in office settings into a telehealth model to reach rural and underserved Californians has shown positive results, which MDT’s team recently presented at the ADCES23 conference. In an earlier pilot study, the results showed that people using MDT have an average A1C reduction of 1.4 percent, LDL decrease of 9.4 points, and improvements in blood pressure, weight and self-care behaviors.
My Diabetes Tutor was founded by Prem Sahasranam, M.D., a Central California board-certified endocrinologist, who saw first-hand the need to support underserved populations and non-metropolitan areas.
“I started MDT to remove language and location barriers and provide diabetes education and support in several languages via telehealth,” says Dr. Sahasranam, CEO, MDT. “The program offers individualized patient support as an extension of physician care, which results in better outcomes. Our educators really know each patient so they customize their approach to help people with diabetes achieve optimal wellness.”
MDT provides access to diabetes education and support from home or a kiosk at a provider/healthcare office. The program’s topics include diabetes basics, nutrition, medication comprehension, emotional well-being, risk reduction from possible complications, and understanding the use of diabetes care devices such as continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps.
Individuals with diabetes may request to take part in My Diabetes Tutor through info@mydiabetestutor.com or by calling 844-623-0999.
About My Diabetes Tutor
My Diabetes Tutor, Inc., based in Hanford, California, was founded in 2019 to address the challenge of unmanaged diabetes, which leads to increased health risks and costs for the healthcare ecosystem, and to close a need and access gap in diabetes support and education for the underserved. As a diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program, My Diabetes Tutor provides virtual education and support in multiple languages through Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists. The program empowers patients to take control of their lives with diabetes and improve their overall health. My Diabetes Tutor was named the first accredited diabetes education telehealth program in California by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES), a National Accredited Organization (NAO). The technology used by My Diabetes Tutor is delivered in conjunction with CharmHealth. For more information about My Diabetes Tutor, visit mydiabetestutor.com.