Findings of the original study suggested that the program had a positive impact on diabetes metabolic control. Levels of diabetes knowledge and rates of glucose self-monitoring and attendance suggested that a shorter program - one that incorporated critical elements of the previous successful strategy - might result in similar improvements. Thus, the goal of the new study, funded in June 1999, was to shorten the original program and to compare it to the previous successful program in terms of short- and long-term health outcomes.