Interactive course uses game-like approach to help patients manage diabetes

Yvonne Fink lived with diabetes for years. She tried to change her diet, but she had trouble following through on her plans. She knew she had to give it another go.

Her physician recommended Journey for Control, an interactive, board game-like course that Sentara Health restarted in 2024 after shuttering it during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The course consists of four classes, each of which has a unique, table-sized map that illustrates important decisions a person with diabetes must make. The maps have themes like healthy eating and offer key information on diabetes care, as well as prompts for conversation. The goal is to help patients learn how to manage diabetes.

Fink said the game-like approach is especially helpful to her because she is a “visual person.”

“It reinforces what we’re learning."

Controlling a chronic condition

Roughly one in every 10 Americans has diabetes, which results in high sugar levels in the blood. A chronic condition, diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, and vision loss.

Fortunately, type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form, can be controlled through healthy eating, exercise, and medication.

“When you have the disease, it impacts every aspect of your life,” said Britt Gnilka, VP of ambulatory case management and utilization. “The good news is that it’s a very manageable disease if you know how and have the resources.”

Each Journey for Control group includes three to 10 patients and is led by specially trained nurses.

The maps for the course resemble the boards for games like Candy Land and Life, which makes the course “easily digestible and approachable,” said Gnilka.

Using these visual aids, the course educates participants about nutrition, helps them understand how to monitor and regulate their blood sugar, and connects them to resources to support healthy living.

It also offers an opportunity for patients to discuss their experiences with diabetes and learn from one another.

Alicia Shepard signed up for Journey for Control when her physician informed her that she had prediabetes, meaning she was at risk of developing diabetes.

The course "has been very good,” said Shepard. “I’ve learned a lot.”

For example, she now knows to increase her fiber and exercise while decreasing her carbohydrate intake. She hopes to avoid a diabetes diagnosis.

“It’s a road map,” she said. “It works you through steps to show you how to reach your goals.”

Empowering patients

Journey for Control is offered to Sentara patients who have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. They can be newly diagnosed or have been living with the disease for years.

Since relaunching in 2024, the program has helped more than 500 patients learn how to better manage diabetes at more than 80 Sentara Medical Group practices across Virginia and North Carolina. Sentara trained more than 40 nurses to lead the courses.

Jennifer Gronniger, one of these nurses, said the “interactive and supportive nature” of the course helps empower patients to make behavioral changes.

Studies have shown that Journey for Control is effective, according to Gnilka. For example, one study found that patients who completed the course had a 1.48% reduction in A1C, which is a measure of blood sugar levels. That is “pretty amazing,” said Gnilka.

“The patient response has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said.

To learn more about Journey for Control, talk to your provider.