Building Competency in Diabetes Education THE ESSENTIALS

2-44 | CHAPTER 2

Research is continuing in the quest to determine the most effective technology that can result in true value to the patient.

Summary Education and support are essential parts of diabetes management as they enable patients to manage their disease through the acquisition of knowledge, development of problem-solving skills and implementation of strategies to change their behavior (2,12,86,113). The learning process is multifaceted and its effectiveness will depend on factors that include readiness of the patient, willingness to learn, family support, attachment with the team, financial issues, cultural influences, and beliefs and attitudes regarding health care (2,10,17,146). As a diabetes educator, it is imperative that we have the knowledge and skills necessary to promote this learning, the judgement to help in the application and the passion to follow through. Welcome to the challenge.