Building Competency in Diabetes Education THE ESSENTIALS

FOUNDATIONS OF DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION AND SUPPORT| 2-5

SME and SMS interventions may take many forms, from public lectures to coping-skills counselling; from self-injection skills to multimedia technology. They may be designed for population health (targeting an entire population at risk) or an individual living with diabetes (2).

Throughout all the chapters, there will be reference to the activities and strategies of SME and SMS that are unique or most relevant to the topic. This reinforces the concept that knowledge is a valuable tool, but how this knowledge is translated and applied by the person with diabetes is the most important process. We will start our discussion by briefly reviewing the context within which we are facilitating SME and SMS. As stated previously, there are many factors involved in the successful management of chronic disease. The 2018 Guidelines highlight the Chronic Care Model (CCM) as a framework for an organized approach to population health and public health initiatives in diabetes care (3). It is necessary for all educators to understand how SME and SMS contribute to this evolving model and how collaboration with as many elements as possible leads to the greatest chance of success (4-9). Further exploring the essentials of SME and SMS, this chapter introduces several major educational and psychosocial models that seek to explain human behaviour and learning; they form the foundation for the development of diabetes SME and SMS interventions and services. We hope you will keep these models and principles in mind as you work through this manual, reflecting on how you can facilitate your patient’s learning of the same material. Definitions For the purposes of this manual, we will use the following definitions to guide the discussion. Patient-centered care : Care provided in a manner that respects and reflects the individual’s needs, preferences and values; a patient’s values direct decisions (10). Self-management : The active participation of individuals in achieving their best health and wellness. This involves gaining the confidence, knowledge and skill to manage physical, social, and emotional aspects of life in partnership with health-care teams and community supports (11). Self-management education : A systematic intervention that involves active patient participation in self-monitoring of health parameters and/or decision making (managing). It involves the ongoing process of facilitating the knowledge, skills and ability necessary to