Tips for successful 15-minute diabetes education sessions
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Individualizing time and offering simple and practical advice are among the ways a diabetes care and education specialist can make the most of 15-minute education sessions, according to a speaker.
“We need to provide the information that is not most important to us as educators, but most important to our patients,” Sandra Arevalo, MPH, RDN, CDN, CDCES, CLC, FADA, director of community and patient education at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, New York, told Healio.
Begin an education session by establishing rapport and allowing the person with diabetes to direct the conversation, Arevalo said.
“One thing that I do ... is to provide information in a way that you let the patient decide what they want you to talk about,” Arevalo said. “For example, I usually tell my patients, ‘There are five reasons why your sugar might be out of control. It could be diet, lack of exercise, maybe issues with monitoring, stress or medication. Which of those apply to you that you want to talk about?’ Starting the conversation this way allows the patient to disclose where they think they need help, which eventually can lead to other areas of concern.”
Use language that patients can understand, Arevalo said. She advises using common words and explaining concepts at the patient’s level while avoiding conversations that sound like lectures. Analogies can be helpful.
“One way I explain the importance of monitoring is, ‘Do you check the weather every day and why,’” Arevalo said. “People will often say, ‘Yes, of course, I need to know if I need to grab my umbrella or sweater or if it’s going to be too hot and I need to bring my water.’ I say, ‘It is the same thing with sugar. You need to check your sugar to plan your day. You need to ... bring water, or make sure to eat more protein or more carbs.’ Now you are putting things into context and you’re giving advice.”
Keep recommendations simple. Simple steps can lead to behavioral changes and meeting goals.
“I don’t think we can instill the motivation, but we can definitely move the patient toward the direction they need to go by making things simpler for them,” Arevalo said.
For example, if someone wants to reduce the amount of sugar they put in their coffee each day, rather than eliminating all sugar right away, they may be persuaded to instead reduce their sugar incrementally by one scoop per week.
Be sensitive to culture, Arevalo said. Educators must take time to get to know individuals, their background, and how they can apply behavioral changes to their specific life circumstances rather than suggesting changes immediately.
“Sometimes, your 15 minutes just goes away on that, just getting to know your patients. That is OK. I will say, ‘We only have 2 minutes left. I’ve learned so much from you, but I haven’t given you anything back. What can I do for you to help you?’” Arevalo said.
“You can provide a quick tip at the door, leave them with something to think about, even if not in detail. You will also leave them motivated to come back because they know that they have found someone who listens.” Arevalo said. “And they will come back. So that’s a good thing.”
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Arevalo S. Practical Tips to Make the Most out of 15-Minute Sessions. Presented at: Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists Annual Meeting; Aug. 13-16, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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