Omada Health Receives Funding to Bring Online Diabetes Prevention Program to Low-Income Communities

Twitter summary: @omadahealth announces $950K in funding to bring #diabetes prevention program to low-income communities

On September 17, Omada Health announced that it received $950,000 in funding to bring its diabetes prevention program, “Prevent,” to low-income communities across the US. This prevention effort can help those who might need it most but who otherwise couldn’t afford it, as some reports show that the risk of developping type 2 diabetes is greater in low-income communities. The program for people with prediabetes currently costs $130/month for four months – a big expense for many, though some major insurance companies such as Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross do cover it.

We are excited about Prevent, which is an online version of the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which found that people with prediabetes who changed their diet, exercised more, and modified their behavior reduced the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes by 58%. Participants in Omada Health’s 16-week Prevent program receive one-on-one support from a professional health coach via phone and messaging, as well as online courses to guide them through the curriculum. Participants also are placed in support groups with other members of the program, using social networking to improve health outcomes. An original pilot study of 230 people found that Prevent participants lost an average of 14 pounds, or 6.4% of their body weight, and 72% of participants remained in the program for the full 16 weeks. Of course, the big barrier in weight loss programs is usually keeping the weight off – follow-up information from Prevent showed that weight loss was largely maintained after 12 months. For more information about Prevent, please see our past new now next in diaTribe #50. –AJW/ARW