Abstract
Donna Ryan, RN, RD, MPH, CDE, FAADE
Translating evidence and guidelines into person-centered care is what diabetes educators do best. Through this process, we help people with diabetes thrive and reach their goals. This year, AADE has created an exciting variety of tools for members to stay current with technology, understand and utilize peer support communities, and integrate both into a plan of care that improves outcomes for the person with diabetes and the health system.
For the first 33 years of service to diabetes educators, AADE has provided members with a growing toolbox of resources to utilize in practice. Diabetes educators have benefitted from the legacy work of the AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors framework, the backbone of the AADE curriculum and self-management interventions. Supporting our specialty is the hallmark of the Art and Science of Diabetes Self-Management Education, an evidenced-based compendium of quality and comprehensive diabetes care and education. Add our practice and position papers, which provide up-to-date information and guidance, and the online, member-only social networking tool, MY AADE NETWORK, and you’ve got a comprehensive set of resources to build and improve your practice.
This year, AADE continues to expand these resources to meet the changing demands of the evolving health care system. At AADE18 in Baltimore, attendees were introduced to our newest member benefit: DANA. DANA, Diabetes Advanced Network Access, is a technology clearinghouse for currently available diabetes delivery devices, insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGM), and integrated systems. Built to be user friendly and easy to access, DANA is a valuable resource for you to support those affected by diabetes and help make you the “go to” for diabetes technology questions. Company specifications, user handouts, training materials, and the latest technology news are all at your fingertips. Access all of this and more at DANAtech.org. While you’re in DANA, don’t forget to check out the DANA App Review. This tool makes it easy to review, recommend, and share apps that have been vetted for reliability and quality information.
AADE is positioning members to not only be comfortable with diabetes technology but to be the experts within the health care team for assessment, application, and integration of technology where appropriate in the care of people with diabetes. When you think about the scope and fast pace of diabetes technologies that are coming to the market, it can be overwhelming to search the Internet for one technology at a time or try to find the information you need quickly. Granted we may not need to be experts in every single technology, but to be able to have that knowledge at our fingertips gives us a huge advantage in helping patients and providers have the most up-to-date information available. If you haven’t engaged in the Diabetes Technology Community of Interest (COI) on MY AADE NETWORK, it’s another great networking resource for questions and updates.
Behavior change is an exciting outcome we are seeing from users of technology who modify their food intake and physical activity for better glucose management simply from seeing the results on their CGMs. Diabetes educators have an enormous opportunity to help people interpret the data they are getting from their devices by answering questions and discussing results. Integrating diabetes technology and patient-generated health data into the care plan is the domain of the diabetes educator. DANA will help us succeed.
In tandem with more and more people utilizing diabetes technology, there are a growing number of peer support communities, both online and in person, offering support and guidance for the daily challenges of managing diabetes. These networks are providing a place for people to connect with others who are wearing or utilizing specific devices. From insulin pumps to CGMs, there are many successful peer support groups who provide valuable support for the person wearing diabetes-related technologies.
The evidence is clear: Peer support communities are beneficial and improve daily management. AADE has worked with others in the peer support community to promote the value of peer support. Several resources to enhance your practice and share with your patients are available at DiabetesEducator.org/PeerSupport.
Improving outcomes for diabetes goes beyond biometrics and A1Cs; it includes the important aspect of helping people choose and succeed at their own health goals. With the expanding landscape of technology, we are seeing more people ask about diabetes devices and wearables. More and more people are utilizing these technologies and need timely and accurate information to help them succeed and meet their goals. Health care providers do not always have the time or resources to keep up with technology questions and choice, so having a technology-savvy diabetes educator helps everyone on the care team to succeed.
Today, do something that will help your patients, health care team, and career. Take a deep dive into DANA and visit the peer support page. Use these tools to become a true technology resource and position yourself as an even more integral part of the health care team. As the diabetes care space evolves, so must we. ■