👋Tell us about you
Tell us about you
A few quick questions help us tailor your journey and surface the next Prepared Patient course you'd benefit from. Saved on this device only. Future versions will sync from your medical record (FHIR Condition import).
🩺 Other conditions you have (alongside T2D)
Check any that apply. We'll recommend matching Prepared Patient courses below.
💛 Someone you care about
Caring for a loved one with another illness or condition? We'll point you at Prepared Family Member content that helps you support them.
Future state: when FHIR Condition import is live, this section will pre-populate from your medical record. You'll always be able to edit.
🎯Your Next Goals
Your Next Goals
Each Prepared Patient course is built like this one — 10 evidence-based competencies, the same Force Field framework, certification at the end. Finish your T2D course; then pick the next one that matches you (or the person you care for).
📍Local to You
Local to You
Your diabetes journey lives in a place. Enter your ZIP and we'll pull regional T2D resources — endocrinology, certified diabetes educators (CDE/CDCES), CGM/insulin-pump DME suppliers, ADA chapter, dietitian, mental health, food access — curated through the FFH PHIT network.
PHIT data: clinic locations from HRSA + CMS · environmental context from EPA AirNow · food access from USDA · social vulnerability from CDC SVI · FFH-curated ADA chapter & community partner programs.
🏅Your Path to Certification
Your Path to Certification
Earn your way up three evidence-based tiers. Each builds on the last. Finish all three and receive your Certified Prepared Patient · Type-2 Diabetes badge and printable certificate, recognized across the FFH Network.
Aware · Identity: Self-Advocate
You know your A1c and your disease. Layer 1 — Condition Literacy.
- Complete Modules 1–4 (Condition Literacy)
- Pass the "Know My T2D" quizzes (≥4/5 each)
- Identify your A1c, your goal, and your top med
- Build a 14-day glucose log (or CGM share) + lifestyle plan
Active · Identity: Care Team Member
You partner with your team and navigate the system. Layer 2 — Care & System Literacy.
- Complete Modules 5–7 (Home monitoring · Red flags · Comorbidity awareness)
- Demonstrate teach-back on your med regimen (incl. GLP-1 / insulin if applicable)
- Complete one "great visit" prep + debrief with glucose log
- Build your When-to-Call plan + Care Team card
- Recognize the SCD/HTN/OSA/CKD intersections that change your plan
Certified Prepared Patient · Identity: Ambassador
You teach, mentor, fight stigma, and shape research & policy. Layer 3 — Advocacy & Ambassadorship.
- Complete Modules 8–10 (Family/Team · Sharing · Mastery)
- Teach a family member their numbers OR present at a community event
- Sign the Prepared Patient Pledge
- Generate & share your Health Passport + 2-week BP log
- Submit one advocacy action (employer wellness, AHA volunteer, policy comment, or peer mentor)
📋Master Pre / Post Assessment
Where You Stand — Confidence Before & After
Seven dimensions of being a Prepared Patient. Answer once at the start of your journey and again at the end. Your goal is to see real growth across understanding, self-management, communication, and optimal utilization — knowing when to call your team, when to use Day Hospital, and when to go to the ER. Your answers stay on this device unless you choose to share with your clinician.
📈 Your Pre→Post Growth
📞Know Who to Call — Before the ER
Know Who to Call — Before the ER
For most non-life-threatening T2D events, your team can help faster than the ER and prevent unnecessary admissions. Save these numbers in your phone today. The numbers below are placeholders — your institution will fill in the right ones for you. DKA, severe hypoglycemia, HHS, foot infection with neuropathy, FAST stroke = always 911 / urgent care.
🚨 Severe Hypoglycemia or DKA — call 911 if not waking or fast deep breathing
Severe hypo: shaking, sweating, confusion, slurred speech, seizure, won't wake → give 15g sugar (juice, glucose tabs) or glucagon, then 911 if not waking. DKA: fruity breath, deep fast breathing, nausea, confusion → 911. Bring your Health Passport (or have a family member bring it).
⚠️ Foot infection / rapid vision change / persistent high glucose — same-day call
Foot redness, swelling, ulcer, or wound in someone with neuropathy = call same day. Sudden vision change = same day. Glucose >300 with thirst, fatigue, frequent urination = call [Endo / PCP: (555) 222-9100] same day. Don't wait for tomorrow.
💬 Routine questions, refills, scheduling, glucose log review
Use [MyChart portal] first — most messages answered within 1 business day. For meds about to run out, call [Pharmacy line: (555) 222-9050]. Send your 14-day glucose log (or CGM share) via portal before any med-change visit.
🚑 Call 911 right away for any of these
Sudden weakness on one side · trouble speaking · vision change · chest pain or trouble breathing · fainting · a painful erection lasting > 4 hours (priapism) · severe headache. These can be stroke, acute chest syndrome, or other emergencies — don't drive yourself.
📚The 10 Prepared Patient Competencies
A Prepared Patient builds three kinds of health literacy — and grows into three identities. Each competency works through the FFH three pillars: Learn It · Live It · Share It.
Advocate for Self
You speak up for your own care, plan, pain, and goals.
Care Team Member
You partner with your team — not above, not below.
Ambassador
You teach, mentor, and shape research, policy & access.
📖 Condition Literacy Learn It · Tier 1 Aware
"I know my numbers and what they mean." The foundation. Without this, nothing else holds.
What T2D Is & Why It Matters
The most common cardiometabolic condition in the U.S. A1c, the four target organs (eyes, kidneys, nerves, vessels), and why A1c at goal prevents most damage.
Knowing My Numbers
A1c (3-month average), fasting glucose, time-in-range from CGM. Most adults aim for A1c <7%. Bring a 14-day log to every visit.
Lifestyle Force Field
Low-glycemic eating, 5–10% weight loss, 150 min/week movement, sleep + sleep apnea, stress + breathing skills, alcohol moderation. Each lever drops A1c.
Medications & Adherence
Metformin first-line. GLP-1 RAs (semaglutide, tirzepatide) drop A1c + weight + cut CV events. SGLT2 protect kidney/heart. Insulin when needed. Adherence = the #1 lever.
🛠 Action & System Literacy Live It · Tier 2 Active
"I monitor at home, I know when to call, I see comorbidities." Where most preventable ER visits and readmissions happen — and where this course pays off the most. Optimal utilization lives here.
Self-Monitoring (CGM & Fingerstick)
CGM (Dexcom G7, Libre 3) replaces fingersticks for many. 14-day log. Time-in-range >70%. Send via portal before med-change visits.
When to Call vs Go to ED
Severe hypo or DKA (911), HHS in older adults (ER), foot infection with neuropathy (urgent care today), FAST stroke (911). The difference saves lives.
When SCD & HTN Meet — Stroke-Risk Story
The cross-condition module. SCD damages small vessels; HTN damages all vessels. Together — especially in African American patients — they produce the highest preventable-stroke burden in U.S. populations.
📣 Family, Sharing & Mastery Share It · Tier 3 Certified
"I bring my family with me. I teach others. I close the loop with my care team." This is what turns a Prepared Patient into a force multiplier for the whole community.
Family & Care Team
Build your team: PCP, endocrinologist if needed, CDCES (educator), RD/dietitian, pharmacist, eye doc, podiatrist, behavioral health, sleep medicine, peer mentor.
Sharing — Family, Partner, Employer
Talk to your family about A1c. Cook DASH-style with your partner. Run a workplace prediabetes screening day. Mentor a newly-diagnosed neighbor. Your story changes outcomes.
Mastery & Graduation
Recap, badge, ROI study opt-in. Reflect on Pre→Post. Set your 12-month plan: a healthy home BP target, your team check-ins, your advocacy commitment.
🫀Form & Function — Type-2 Diabetes in 3D
Form & Function — Type-2 Diabetes in 3D
Type-2 diabetes is a multi-organ disease. The blood-sugar number is the headline; what's actually happening lives in six places at once. Knowing the geography of your own body makes every lever (food, activity, meds, monitoring) make sense.
🔬 Pancreas / β-cells
Insulin-producing cells gradually fail under chronic insulin resistance + glucotoxicity. GLP-1 / GIP agonists offload them; metformin reduces hepatic glucose output.
🏭 Liver
Hepatic insulin resistance → fasting hyperglycemia. NAFLD / MASLD prevalence very high. Metformin + weight loss + GLP-1s reverse much of this.
💪 Muscle
Skeletal muscle is the largest insulin sink. Resistance + aerobic exercise increases glucose uptake independently of insulin. 150 min/week is the operational target.
🧈 Adipose tissue
Visceral fat drives systemic insulin resistance via inflammatory cytokines. 5–10% body weight loss often produces remission in early T2D.
🩸 Vessels
Hyperglycemia + AGEs damage endothelium → accelerated atherosclerosis (macrovascular) + microvascular damage to retina, kidney, nerves. BP and lipid control matter as much as glucose.
🫘 Kidneys, eyes, nerves
Microvascular damage → CKD (annual UACR + eGFR), retinopathy (annual dilated exam), neuropathy (annual foot exam, monofilament). SGLT2 + ACE/ARB protect kidneys.
💡 How we manage it (the through-line)
Five levers in this order: (1) Disease-modifying therapy — metformin first-line; GLP-1s and SGLT2s now standard early. (2) Lifestyle Force Field — DASH/Mediterranean eating, 150 min/week movement, 5–10% body-weight loss. (3) Self-monitoring — fingerstick or CGM; A1c every 3 months until stable. (4) Comorbidity control — BP <130/80, lipids, kidneys (annual UACR + eGFR). (5) Annual surveillance — eye, foot, kidney, mental health.
🧰Training Lab — Devices & Techniques
Training Lab — Devices & Techniques
Hands-on practice with the devices and techniques every Prepared Patient · T2D eventually masters: glucometer technique, CGM application & calibration, insulin pen / pump basics, hypo/hyper recognition & correction, ketone testing, foot self-exam. 5-step rhythm. In development.
This section is in active development — the FFH Training Lab is being purpose-built to host T2D device training (and every other condition's). When it lands, this slot will surface the full hands-on lab inline. For now, talk to your team about the device skills you'll need to master and we'll have them queued up here shortly.
👥My Care Team
👥My Care Team
Your team is bigger than just the doctor. Click any card to edit, or click the + tile to add a new team member. Saved on this device. The Force Field Emergency Card below auto-syncs from this list.
📖Glossary — words you'll hear
Plain-English definitions for terms doctors and labs use. Tap to expand.
Stage 1 / Stage 2 hypertension
Hypertensive crisis (urgency vs emergency)
ACE inhibitor / ARB
Calcium-channel blocker (CCB)
Thiazide diuretic
White-coat HTN / Masked HTN
DASH eating plan
Validated upper-arm cuff
Resistant hypertension
SCD × HTN comorbidity (Banner equity story)
🧪Vitals & Labs Tutor — what your numbers mean
Vitals & Labs Tutor — what your numbers mean
Don't just see a number — know what it means and what to ask. Your "normal" may be different from a friend's. Ask your hematologist to write your personal baseline in the column on the right.
| Test | What it measures | Typical adult range | What to ask if it's off | My baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1c (hemoglobin A1c) | 3-month average blood glucose. | Goal < 7% (some < 6.5%) | Am I on track? Need dose adjustment? | [fill in] |
| Fasting glucose | Blood glucose after 8 hours no food. | Goal 80–130 mg/dL | Rising despite meds? Check dawn phenomenon. | [fill in] |
| Postprandial glucose (2-hour after meals) | Peak glucose 2 hours after eating. | Goal < 180 mg/dL | If high — carb type/portion adjustment? | [fill in] |
| Fingerstick log average | Your typical home readings (if not on CGM). | Aim for > 70% in goal range | Do the times of day matter? (dawn / post-meal) | [fill in] |
| CGM time-in-range (TIR) | % time glucose in target zone (if using CGM). | Goal > 70% in range | Where are the out-of-range times? Patterns? | [fill in] |
| LDH | Marker of red cell breakdown. | Often elevated in SCD | Is mine higher than my baseline today? | [fill in] |
| Ferritin | Iron stores — high after many transfusions. | < 1000 ng/mL ideal | Do I need an iron-removal medicine? | [fill in] |
| Lipid panel (LDL/HDL/Triglycerides) | Cholesterol & fat in blood. | LDL < 100 (goal < 70 if ASCVD) | On a statin? On GLP-1 RA? | [fill in] |
| eGFR + UACR (urine albumin-creatinine) | Kidney function & early damage. | eGFR > 60; UACR < 30 normal | Need ACE-I or ARB? SGLT2i? | [fill in] |
| Blood pressure (home + clinic) | Pressure against artery walls. | Goal < 130/80 (T2D + HTN) | Both logs align? White-coat pattern? | [fill in] |
| Liver enzymes (ALT, AST) | Liver health (NAFLD risk in T2D). | ALT < 40 IU/L (varies by lab) | Ultrasound for fatty liver indicated? | [fill in] |
| Annual foot exam | Check for neuropathy & skin breakdown. | Monofilament test, visual, palpate | Any loss of sensation? Ulcer risk? | [fill in] |
| Annual dilated eye exam | Screen for retinopathy. | Eye Dr. dilates & photographs | Any early changes? Referral to retina? | [fill in] |
➕Add-On Modules & Earnable Badges
➕Add-On Modules & Earnable Badges
Stackable modules that match your situation. Complete one to earn an extra badge on your certificate. Your institution can add their own.
👶 Pregnancy with SCD
Pre-conception counseling, transfusion strategy, anesthesia plan, postpartum risks.
🌱 Transition to Adult Care
Ages 14–25. Build your portable summary and meet your adult team.
🧪 In a Clinical Trial?
Add: protocol literacy, side-effect tracking, when to call the study coordinator vs your usual team.
💉 Considering Gene Therapy / HCT
Eligibility, fertility preservation, what the conditioning weeks look like, follow-up.
✈️ Travel & SCD
Altitude, dehydration, cold, time-zone meds, packing your Passport, finding a hospital abroad.
🎓 At School / At Work
Sample 504 plans, ADA accommodations, cooling breaks, how to talk to teachers/HR.
👨👩👧 For Caregivers & Siblings
How to feel for the spleen, what to put in the go-bag, taking care of yourself.
+ Add Your Institution's Module
Drop in your own — chemo ed, infusion-pump training, port-access teach-back, anything.
🛡️Force Field Emergency Card — fridge · wallet · EMT-ready
🛡️ Force Field Emergency Card FRIDGE · WALLET · EMT-READY
A one-page emergency record for any EMT, ER, new doctor, or transition visit. Print one for the fridge, one for your wallet. Updates anytime. This is the document you hand to a stranger when you can't speak for yourself.
🤝 My Care Team — call list for any clinician picking up my care
📘My Health Passport — visit log · questions · trackers
📘 My Health Passport PATIENT-OWNED JOURNAL
This is your record — not your hospital's. Log every visit, capture every question for next time, and watch your own trends. Many of you get care at more than one hospital, on more than one record system. This Passport travels with you. Future versions will let you import data directly from your patient portals (the "Blue Button" vision).
🩺Working With a Prepared Patient
Your patient is going through a structured, evidence-based course. Here's how to get the most out of every visit, reduce ER use, and partner well. Built on the AHRQ SHARE Approach, the IOM teach-back method, and the 2014 NHLBI & 2020 ASH SCD guidelines.
The SHARE Approach — your 5-step playbook
Use these steps in any order. Cycle back. Use teach-back at every transition. Source: AHRQ Pub. No. 25-0005 (Oct 2024).
💬Teach-Back & Risk Communication
The two highest-yield, lowest-cost SDM techniques. Use both at every visit.
🔁 Teach-Back (1–2 min)
- "Just so I know I explained it well — what would you tell your sister about why we're starting hydroxyurea?"
- Open-ended ("what" / "how"), not yes/no.
- If they get it wrong: "I must not have explained it well — let me try a different way." Then teach-back again.
- Use it for: pain plan, hydroxyurea ramp-up, when to call you vs ER, fever rule, port-flush technique.
- Document teach-back in your note — it's a quality measure and a billable element of care.
🔢 Communicating Numbers
- Use absolute risk, not relative. "13 out of 100" beats "13%" beats "1 in 8" beats "low risk."
- Keep denominators & timeframes constant when comparing options.
- Show, don't tell: icon arrays, Wong-Baker FACES, written summary.
- For lab numbers: give the action threshold, not just the value. "Your ferritin is 1,200 — over 1,000 we usually start iron removal."
⚠️SCD-Specific Clinical Guardrails
Do these every visit. Skipping them is the most common reason a Prepared Patient ends up in the ER.
🟢 Every Visit Checklist
- Confirm hydroxyurea dose & HbF goal; ramp to MTD if labs allow.
- Pain plan: home opioid script, when to escalate, no NSAIDs if GFR < 60.
- Pneumococcal, meningococcal (ACWY + B), influenza, COVID, Hib up to date.
- Eye exam yearly (proliferative retinopathy — esp. HbSC).
- BP and urine albumin every visit; ACE/ARB if > 30 mg/g.
- Mental health screen (PHQ-2/9 + GAD-7); pain ≠ depression but they coexist.
🚨 Red-Flag Triage Patients Should Know
- Fever ≥ 101°F → assess within 1 hour (CBC, blood culture, broad-spectrum if criteria met).
- Pain + cough/fever/low O₂ → CXR, sat, transfuse threshold, incentive spirometry.
- Sudden focal weakness, speech, vision → stroke pathway; transfuse to HbS < 30%.
- Priapism > 4 hours → urgent urology + IV fluids + analgesia.
- Pediatric: spleen palpable / pale / lethargic → splenic sequestration.
🌍Cultural Competence & Trust
SCD disproportionately affects Black, Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities. Many patients have been under-treated or accused of drug-seeking. Repair starts in your office.
- Start with belief. Pain is what the patient says it is. SCD pain is real, severe, and often poorly treated.
- Ask about their model. "What do you think causes a crisis for you? What do you think helps?" Use that language.
- Use qualified medical interpreters — never family, never minor children except in true emergencies.
- Invite the family in. Decisions about transition, transplant, gene therapy, fertility, pregnancy are family decisions in many cultures.
- Name the bias. "I know SCD patients have often been doubted in ERs. We track that here, and you can tell me if it ever happens."
🏥Customize for Your Institution
Clone this course and replace the highlighted blocks with your own information. Each editable field below is a placeholder — change it once and it propagates through the patient view.
📞 What Should Replace the When-to-Call Block
- 24/7 hematology on-call number
- Day Hospital / SCD infusion clinic hours & address
- Specialty pharmacy line
- Behavioral health / crisis line
- Patient portal login URL
👤 Who Is Your "Susan"?
- Name, role, photo, calendly/booking link.
- What teach-back / device check-ins they own (port flushing, infusion pump, hydroxyurea ramp).
- How patients reach them between visits.
📚 Add Your Own Modules
- Your clinical trial protocols (chemo ed, gene therapy run-up).
- Local 504 plan template, school-letter template.
- Insurance & financial-aid pathways.
- Local peer support partners (e.g., 360 SCD Hub, SCD Foundation Arizona).
🎨 Re-skin in 2 Lines of CSS
--inst-primary: your brand color- Replace the FFH × 360 SCD Hub × [Your Institution] cobrand pill in the hero
- Drop in your logo PNG (white version) — same 48px height as FFH logo
📚 Evidence Base — what this course is built on
- AHRQ SHARE Approach — 5-step shared decision making framework. AHRQ Pub. 25-0005, Oct 2024. ahrq.gov/sdm
- AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (3rd ed.) — teach-back, plain language, accessible materials. AHRQ Pub. 23-0075, March 2024.
- NHLBI Evidence-Based Management of SCD: Expert Panel Report (2014) — preventive screening, hydroxyurea, transfusion, infection prevention.
- ASH 2020 Guidelines for SCD — pain (acute & chronic), cerebrovascular disease, transfusion support, stem-cell transplant.
- AHRQ PEMAT — Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool. Used to grade understandability & actionability.
- Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) — peer-led, self-efficacy backbone of the Tier 3 advocacy work.
- AHRQ Patient Activation Measure (PAM) — the "Aware → Active → Certified" ladder maps to PAM levels 1–4.
- 360 SCD Hub (360scdhub.org) — community partner content, peer mentors, regional resource connections.
- FFH Prepared Patient · Asthma course — sister course in the FFH Academy; this build mirrors its structure for series consistency.
Course content is educational and not a substitute for medical advice from your own clinicians. Institutions cloning this course are responsible for accuracy of all customized blocks.