# Application of the Telemedicine for Reach, Education, Access, and Treatment delivery model to engage emerging adults in Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (TREAT-ED)

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $251,488

## Abstract

Abstract
Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is considered a cornerstone of care and essential
in helping people navigate self-management decisions and activities. Despite evidence that DSMES is a critical
component of diabetes care, participation remains low. Emerging adulthood (EA) has been described as the
distinct period between 18 and 25 years when adolescents work to achieve autonomy and explore life
possibilities in moving toward adulthood. Suboptimal self-management has been identified as a major problem
in EAs with type 1 diabetes (T1D), a particularly vulnerable group with an increased risk for poor diabetes-related
outcomes. In its current form DSMES has been cited for not meeting the needs of EAs, when EAs have
expressed interest in DSMES delivered with peer-supported, technological and applied learning-driven methods.
To address these challenges, we are applying information gained from the literature and key stakeholders to our
established Telemedicine for Reach, Education, Access and Treatment (TREAT) delivery model with a specific
focus on DSMES. TREAT-ED (for self-management EDucation) will be designed to specifically engage EAs in
DSMES by integrating DSMES objectives to support informed decision making, self-care, and preparation for
transfer to adult care, to improve outcomes. Diabetes care and education specialists (DCESs) will lead TREAT-
ED with a cohort of EAs and will 1) help to organize and facilitate group sessions delivered through telehealth
and 2) use continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM) reports as personalized examples to drive established
DSMES content. With user-centered design techniques, we will evaluate implementation determinants and then
develop, build, and test the TREAT-ED model. Feasibility assessment of the impact of the model on EA patient
participation in DSMES along with clinical, psychosocial and behavioral outcomes will be examined. We
hypothesize that models that rely on current day strategies to engage EAs at high risk for diabetes-related
problems with effective self-management skills will improve DSMES engagement and outcomes. If proven to be
effective, this model is one that could be adapted for EAs who have transferred to adult diabetes care and other
patient populations throughout the US.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10840437
- **Project number:** 5R34DK136020-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** INGRID M LIBMAN
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $251,488
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-11 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10840437

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10840437, Application of the Telemedicine for Reach, Education, Access, and Treatment delivery model to engage emerging adults in Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (TREAT-ED) (5R34DK136020-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10840437. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*