Fruit Street, a New York City-based digital health company, is the first organization to obtain pending recognition status for group telehealth classes under the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program.
For the DPP, the CDC reviews behavioral and lifestyle programs that tackle prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. The prevention and management programs that meet CDC criteria are recognized as a covered medical benefit under Medicare.
Fruit Street's DPP telehealth model is a digital version of the CDC's original clinical trial, which connected patients with an in-person lifestyle coach at a YMCA. However, on Fruit Street's platform, patients participate in live group classes led by a registered dietician via remote video conferencing. Fruit Street also issues each patient a Fitbit, wireless scale and mobile app, which lifestyle coaches use to provide feedback.
"Fruit Street's similarity to the original DPP clinical trial gives us the ability to protect the DPP program integrity," said Laurence Girard, CEO and founder of Fruit Street.