Trainings and Consulting
DEEP Training of Trainers
The Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP), a series of eight modules designed to give participants with low health literacy the knowledge and skills to manage their diabetes and reduce the risk of further complications. It has proven successful in the short-term in helping participants positively change their diet and level of physical activity as well as reduce their A1c levels and weight.
The University of Illinois at Chicago Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center developed the DEEP in 1997 under a REACH 2010 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The DEEP's goal is to reduce diabetes complications and hospitalizations, especially those from minority and medically-underserved communities. It specifically addresses issues of health literacy and culturally-appropriate health information. Over the past few years of implementation, the Latino Center has updated and expanded the curriculum, translated it into Spanish, promoted its utilization among health care providers, and evaluated its effectiveness.
Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. , and it disproportionately affects Latinos and African Americans. Diabetes education is considered the cornerstone of effective diabetes care; however, many programs show only short-term results. This project is aimed at improving the long-term impact of diabetes education programs.
