Educating the Patient with Diabetes

Keypoints • Diabetes education is an important cornerstone of diabetes care, and supports the philosophy of the chronic disease model. • Diabetes education improves clinical outcomes, and requires periodic follow up. • Time spent with a diabetes educator is the best predictor for improvement in diabetes outcomes. • Patients and physicians agree that diabetes education is a necessary part of care. • Being prepared with a variety of educational delivery methods is benefi cial and necessary to meet the variety of patient learning styles. • Understanding educational theories builds a strong base for selecting appropriate approaches to meet the needs of individual patients. • A written plan developed in collaboration with a patient and their educator and care provider offers more chance of achievement.