Perspectives on Diabetes Care
This is the official blog of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists where we share recent research and professional opinions on diabetes care and education.
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The 2017 National Practice Survey Results
Jun 4, 2018, 07:00 AM
By: Joanne Rinker, MS, RD, CDE, LDN, FAADE
AADE Director of Practice and Content Development
Greetings from AADE! As a member of the AADE staff since March 2017, I have had the opportunity to work with a very dedicated member committee to complete the 2017 National Practice Survey (NPS). The survey consisted of 100 questions covering many areas including participant demographics, practice setting, program accreditation, program curriculum, staffing, educational delivery methods, use of technology and social media, influence, data collection, sustainability and reporting. Participants also had many opportunities to write in comments.
The results of the 2017 National Practice Survey are live!
Take some time to review the results, where you’ll find data about diabetes education and diabetes educators. I wanted to point out some specific examples of how AADE uses the results of the survey to support diabetes educators:
- Diabetes education is evolving and our profession is changing. You’ll find that diabetes educators in administrative roles are overseeing more community health workers (81%) than diabetes educators (62%). This could be because of the huge increase in diabetes educators who work in type 2 diabetes prevention programs, jumping from 7.8% in the 2015 NPS to 72% in the 2017 NPS. Or this may be the result of new models of care where the diabetes educator oversees community health workers to increase access to care. AADE is addressing these trends through a variety of AADE18 sessions, so you are better informed and ready to meet the demands of a changing healthcare system.
- Using technology to augment reach (i.e. telehealth) was reported by 11% of those working in a single location and 4% of those in multiple locations. I am curious to see how this number increases over the next couple of years since telehealth is a reimbursable option. Currently, AADE is engaged in a 5-year funding opportunity from the CDC in collaboration with the Healthy Trucking Association of America and Omada Health to reduce or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among truck drivers in the U.S. The program uses a virtual method that delivers key messages about self-care.
- Lastly, 88% of respondents indicated that they had influence in insulin initiation and/or titration, medication adjustment, stress reduction, or the use of technology, including apps and diabetes devices. This shows just how important diabetes educators are in diabetes care and how imperative it is that we show our expertise in all areas. To better support members in technology understanding and management, AADE will release DANA (Diabetes Advanced Network Access) later this year. DANA is the smartest online destination for all things diabetes technology. It will connect members with the devices, expertise and innovations shaping diabetes care. DANA will be your one stop for the information you need to assist people with diabetes who look to you for knowledge about reviews of the latest devices, mobile apps and much more.
Diabetes educators are the professionals we serve. Completion of the bi-annual National Practice Survey is imperative to the resources we build and offer our members. Thank you for completing this survey and giving AADE the information needed to better serve the profession. For more information about the 2017 NPS please visit DiabetesEducator.org/NPS