ABSTRACT

Diabetes self-management education (DSME) has long been revered as the cornerstone of care for all persons affected by diabetes. The diabetes educator provides this valuable service as an integral part of the healthcare delivery team. A large body of evidence supports the effectiveness of diabetes education (1) and, although there are variances in delivery methods, the educational process is universal. Since 1983, educators have focused on delivery of a formalized educational content. This content, as well as the process of DSME, is defined by the National Standards of DSME (2) and more recently supported by the Diabetes SelfManagement Outcomes Continuum (3).