Given the rising burden of diabetes and related complications in India, primary care physicians have been identified as crucial to mitigate the increasing burden at the population level. Therefore, effective training programs tailored to enhance their competencies in diabetes care become indispensable for improving patient health outcomes. Catering to this need, the Certificate Course on Evidence-Based Diabetes Management (CCEBDM) offers a structure that equips frontline care health providers with the necessary skills to provide evidence-based diabetes care. The paper mostly presents descriptive and qualitative insights to explain the various components of the CCEBDM program that have contributed to its sustained success and impact. To date, a total of 17,557 primary care physicians (PCPs) have enrolled for the training in the CCEBDM program. The participants comprise a diverse group of physicians, encompassing clinical experience ranging from 3 to 54 years (mean: 10.4 years). Respondents have reported measurable improvements in both clinical practice and patient care following CCEBDM training. Participants from a small narrative program evaluation based on retrospective survey data reported an increase in the average patients per month from 80 to 140, showing a 76% increase in the number of patients managed. Given the extensive number of PCPs trained by CCEBDM, this indicates a significant impact in forwarding evidence-based management of diabetes in India. The undebatable decade-long success of the CCEBDM program may be attributed to two main factors. The first factor consists of adaptability & innovative methods that have helped evolve the program in tune with the changing epidemiological needs and gaps in diabetes management in India. The second factor consists of robust and valid features that have ensured and preserved the quality of the program. The paper outlines a forward-looking agenda for optimizing the program’s impact on transforming India’s diabetes care landscape. Given the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases and the acute shortage of specialized care in underserved areas, the paper explains why programs like CCEBDM are well-positioned to serve as a strategic model for decentralized capacity-building.
Kumar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.