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Beyond self-management, diabetes educators positioned to improve population health measures
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A shift in the United States from fee-for-service to value-based care combined with new population health initiatives offers certified diabetes educators an opportunity to go beyond diabetes self-management and education services and partner with other members of the care team to meet larger health goals, according to a review published in The Diabetes Educator.
“Diabetes educators are integral to the process of evaluating what work needs to be done in the population health process for people with diabetes and can help identify who on the care team can best fill those roles,” Teresa L. Pearson, MS, RN, CDE, FAADE, president and director of clinical services at Innovative Health Care Designs in Minneapolis, and colleagues wrote. “This may result in a redefinition of roles, and diabetes educators can facilitate this process.”
Diabetes self-management and education support (DSMES) services encourage the improvement of the health of individuals with diabetes, whereas population health focuses on improving population-level diabetes performance measures across the entire diabetes population for a specific organization or practice setting, the researchers wrote.
“Diabetes educators have an opportunity to position themselves as diabetes specialists for diabetes management, education and population health care delivery,” the researchers wrote. “With expertise that extends beyond DSMES and a wide variety of skills, diabetes educators recognize that there is a range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that influence diabetes health outcomes. Diabetes educators should align with organizational strategic plans and support the population-level performance measures and quality initiatives, thus enhancing the value that diabetes educators bring to health care organizations.”
The researchers noted that diabetes educators can become more involved in population health by taking several steps:
- Learn about population health and framework and what is happening in the educator’s organization in these areas.
- Utilize current and emerging technologies in diabetes care delivery, including decision support, DSMES and ongoing monitoring of quality performance.
- Implement standardized stratification strategies and facilitate the development of risk-level-appropriate clinical and psychosocial interventions.
- Design targeted interventions and reassessment for people at various levels of risk.
- Implement proven diabetes prevention programs.
- Partner with key stakeholders in the community to broaden reach and ensure access.
- Actively advocate for improvements in diabetes care.
“While the focus on the [Affordable Care Act’s] Triple Aim and the transition from fee-for-service to value-based care is intended to have a positive impact on a person’s quality of care and satisfaction, it is also creating an opportunity for diabetes educators to reevaluate and expand services,” the researchers wrote. “Diabetes educators are in a position to incorporate a population health approach into clinical practice by taking an active role in identifying patients at need rather than passively waiting for referrals.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: One of the authors reports she serves on an advisory board for Livongo.
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