Toward Describing Practice: The AADE National Diabetes Education Practice Survey: Diabetes Education in the United States--Who, What, Where, and How

This article describes the first comprehensive survey of diabetesself-management education programs and practice in the United States. TheAmerican Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), through environmentalscanning of members and the external health care environment, identifiedsignificant changes in the practice of diabetes education in 2004. In aneffort to more completely understand the current state of practice, theassociation administered the National Diabetes Education Practice Survey (NPS)to the membership in 2005 and 2006. The survey was structured to elicitinformation about the structure, process, and outcomes of diabetes educationpractice from both program managers and diabetes educators. Through thisbaseline description of diabetes education practice and program design,opportunities were identified for broadening the patient referral base,enhancing cost-effectiveness and educator productivity activities, improvingprogram access to all populations, developing innovative delivery methods,improving patient outcomes, and striving for sustainable funding sources. Theassociation will continue to administer the survey annually and report onchanges and trends in diabetes education programs and practice.