Tannaz Moin, MD and O. Kenrik Duru, MD Awarded $2.85M CDC Funding to Evaluate Effectiveness of Diabetes Prevention Program

In an innovative scientific partnership between researchers, the UC Office of the President (UCOP), and Intermountain Healthcare, Dr. Tannaz Moin and Dr. O. Kenrik Duru will leverage existing electronic health record (EHR), insurance claims and Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) cohort data to examine the long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the DPP, as well as barriers and facilitators of participation in DPP in real-world settings. 

Through a rigorous evaluation using diverse data sources from the University of California (UC), a multi-campus university system and one of the largest employers in the State of California, and Intermountain Healthcare, a three-state regional health network, the researchers will create a merged multi-ethnic and geographically diverse electronic cohort of adults at-risk of developing type 2 diabetes who enrolled in DPP and propensity-matched controls who did not enroll in DPP. The researchers will track data from patients enrolled in all DPP delivery models in both systems. 

Tannaz Moin, MD (left) and O. Kenrik Duru, MD (right)

Through a rigorous evaluation using diverse data sources from the University of California (UC), a multi-campus university system and one of the largest employers in the State of California, and Intermountain Healthcare, a three-state regional health network, the researchers will create a merged multi-ethnic and geographically diverse electronic cohort of adults at-risk of developing type 2 diabetes who enrolled in DPP and propensity-matched controls who did not enroll in DPP. The researchers will track data from patients enrolled in all DPP delivery models in both systems. 

To assess the effectiveness of real-world DPP delivery, Moin and Duru will examine percent weight change at 5-years follow-up among adults at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, comparing those who completed DPP with those who did not enroll. They will also compare those who started but did not complete DPP with those who did not enroll (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes will examine changes in cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, tobacco use), rates of incident type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related healthcare service utilization and related costs. To assess the cost-effectiveness of real-world DPP delivery, they will estimate cost per case of type 2 diabetes prevented and cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained at 5-years follow-up. 

Moin and Duru will also examine whether long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness vary by several factors, including DPP entry criteria (e.g., blood test vs. risk test), program delivery mode, social determinants of health, age group, or race and ethnicity. To examine barriers and facilitators to DPP participation, Moin and Duru will survey a representative subset of DPP participants and non-participants. They will leverage their team’s expertise in DPP evaluation and track record of collaboration, and work closely with the coordinating center to carry out this comprehensive multi-site evaluation study. Findings from this study will inform future UC System and Intermountain Healthcare strategies addressing obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention, as well as dissemination of effective strategies to other large university systems, healthcare systems and employers. 

About the Researchers

Tannaz Moin, MD, MBA, MSHS is an associate professor of medicine in the divisions of endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism and general internal medicine & health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is also a core investigator at the VA Greater Los Angeles HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy and serves as an assistant director for the Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program at UCLA. Her clinical interests include diabetes and prediabetes and her research expertise include comparative effectiveness research, pragmatic trials, and implementation science. She is a principal investigator on several NIH and VA funded research studies focusing on the implementation and evaluation of interventions for patients with diabetes, prediabetes and/or obesity across a variety of settings. 

O. Kenrik Duru, MD, MSHS is a professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine & health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  He is a practicing primary care physician with post-graduate fellowship training in health services research. He has experience in conducting research on health and health care disparities for both minority and low-income populations, as well as implementing and evaluating interventions to increase the uptake of evidence-based strategies for diabetes prevention, including shared decision-making.  He is also the PI on several NIH mentoring grants that provide research training and experience for individuals from groups historically underrepresented in science and medicine. 


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