The CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program is one of the first lifestyle and behavior-based interventions to be proven, in a large clinical study, to be more effective than a comparable drug (in this case metformin). Digital implementations can make the DPP more accessible and more scalable, and a number of digital health companies have been tackling this for the last few years.

Fruit Street Health is one of those companies and its CEO Laurence Girard joins host Jonah Comstock on today's HIMSSCast to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and successes his company has had in this space.

Talking points:

• A brief history of the CDC Diabetes Prevention Program
• Why Fruit Street and others are taking the DPP digital
• Challenges and opportunities of virtual DPP implementation
• Ongoing reimbursement challenges with Medicare and Medicaid
• Advantages of group-based programs via video chats
• Questions and misconceptions about scalability
• Making sure pre-diabetes interventions work for everyone
• Cultural food expectations and combatting food deserts, both through partnerships
• Direct-to-consumer DPP outreach
• Are DPP programs (in-person and virtual) making a dent in the problem?

More about this episode:

Fruit Street to deliver CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program through live video classes

Fruit Street Health raises $3 million in doctors-only round

UK passes on Apple, Google's Bluetooth contact tracing tool, Fruit Street Health launches COVID-19 telemedicine platform and more digital health news briefs

AHIP, CDC to partner on diabetes prevention

Medicare to reimburse for Diabetes Prevention Program, including Omada's digital version

Diabetes Prevention Program under the Affordable Care Act is working, HHS Secretary Burwell says

American Medical Association pushes public, private health plans to cover National Diabetes Prevention Program

CMS calls for extending Diabetes Prevention Program into Medicare, proposes new doc fees to boost chronic care