Abstract
DANA: Your One-Stop Resource for Diabetes Technology
When asked, 93% of AADE members expressed a real hunger for a curated technology resource. Our answer: DANA. DANA (Diabetes Advanced Network Access) delivers everything from mobile app reviews to tech-focused discussion boards and education to research and overviews on the latest devices. Best of all, it frees you up to do what you do best—caring for people living with diabetes. Take a look at your new AADE member benefit: DANAtech.org.
Expanding Medicare Beneficiary Access to DSMT: New Federal Bill
AADE has teamed up with the Diabetes Advocacy Alliance to advocate for a bill that expands the list of practitioners who can refer; that allows the initial 10 hours to remain available until they are used; that increases the number of subsequent hours per year to 6; that permits diabetes self-management training (DSMT) and medical nutrition therapy to occur in the same day and DSMT to occur in a community-based location; and that excludes DSMT from Part B cost-sharing and deductible requirements. Read more and take action in the Legislative Action Center at diabeteseducator.org/advocacy.
Government Coalition Work a Priority
AADE is increasingly at the table with government decision makers. We are currently representing diabetes educators on more than 10 high-level workgroups, looking at issues such as health equity, quality measures for diabetes prevention, diabetes self-management education and support and National Diabetes Prevention Program referrals, and other significant barriers to access. One example is our participation in the multistakeholder Health Equity Collaborative, which is focused on combining private and public sector efforts to increase access to the appropriate service for people at risk for and affected by diabetes. We are active with the Coordination Team, which is working on strategic design, measurement sets, and the common structure for reporting that will be used to map out a shared implementation approach. Stay tuned . . .
State of the Practice Revealed in Latest National Practice Survey
The role and importance of diabetes educators continue to grow, as documented in our most recent National Practice Survey. For example, educators are increasingly serving in supervisory roles, providing oversight to teams of community health workers and fellow diabetes educators. A large number also indicated that they had influence in insulin initiation, titration, and/or intensification, as well as medication adjustments and gestational diabetes management. Read more at DiabetesEducator.org/nps.
New Resources on Gestational Diabetes Management and Affordability
We have compiled a variety of educator-focused resources to help women with gestational diabetes to have a successful pregnancy outcome and lessen their chance of developing type 2 diabetes after the baby is born. These resources include a new AADE practice paper, insight from one of the authors, educational courses, journal articles, and tips from your fellow educators. See DiabetesEducator.org/gdm.
Additionally, we have gathered our own materials and coupled them with those from fellow diabetes organizations and industry to create a comprehensive grouping of patient assistance programs and advice on how manage the high cost of diabetes. This is an area that will continue to grow as we learn about new resources. For more, visit DiabetesEducator.org/affordability.
Interested in other topics? We also have content areas dedicated to insulin pump therapy, self-monitoring of blood glucose, hypoglycemia, and disaster planning.