Patient Education: Overview in Diabetes

DEFINITION

• Ongoing collaborative process through which people with diabetes obtain the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to make daily decisions about their medications, physical activity, meal plan and other psychosocial challenges that impact their blood glucose levels, other risk factors, and quality of life.
• Includes evidence-based clinical knowledge, behavior strategies, and educational theory[12]
• Recommended for all people with diabetes at the time of diagnosis and as needed in subsequent years[7]
• Medicare covers 10 hours the first year and 2 hours every year thereafter; also covered by most private insurances