What’s on Your Shelf?
Aug 10, 2017, 15:30 PM
I spend all day coaching patients with diabetes, downloading insulin pumps and making insulin adjustments, but perhaps one of my biggest challenges (outside of recording everything in the emergency room!) is finding and organizing resources that allow patients and their families to take home the messages I share for further reinforcement after our visit(s). What is too much or too little? What handouts are most useful and can we afford them as a clinic?
I was recently at the AADE annual meeting, and can easily be inundated with all the wonderful materials that are available from ADA, AADE, pharma companies, and other non-profits. When I'm back home, there is the web with reams of downloadable information both good, and not so good, that patients can access or we can download for them.
I would like to see a repository of CDE’s favorite written materials that reinforce our oral recommendations. It would be helpful to have a brief description of which patients we find the resources most useful for and whether there is a cost. It could even be ones you have written that you are willing to share. I’ll start!
- I highly recommend the Pink Panther books from the Barbara Davis Center. They are incredible for folks newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, whether young or old. Even though the books are geared towards the under 18 crowd, they are a great resource for all patients newly diagnosed (or who need a significant refresher!) There is a fee.
- The Where Do I Begin booklet from the American Diabetes Association is a great tool for starting the conversation for those recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It touches on all the basics, such as healthy eating, exercise and monitoring. I use it with both inpatients and outpatients, and find the center fold of the plate method a great starting place to discuss healthy food choices and balance. No charge.
- The trifold handout on healthy eating from Novo Nordisk is a delightful way of educating folks of any age with type 1, type 2 or any type of diabetes about food groups and those that contribute to the total glucose pool. No charge.
Please send in one or two of your favorite handouts to share! Log in to comment on this post, or email it to [email protected]. We will start a list on the AADE website that would allow diabetes educators to review materials that others have found useful, and your response may be published in AADE in Practice. Handouts in all languages and all reading levels are encouraged!
Thanks for your input!
About the Author:
Carla Cox is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She has been a certified diabetes educator for over 25 years, and served as an assistant adjunct professor for 14 years, teaching in areas of sports nutrition and exercise physiology. Currently she works in Missoula, Montana as a diabetes educator in both in- and outpatient settings.
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