I am at the annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and it’s off to a great start! This morning the current AADE president, Sandi Burke, said that she looks forward to a time when every person with diabetes will demand a referral to a diabetes educator.
This is a wonderful concept for diabetes educators – job security and all. And it’s a wonderful concept for people who live with diabetes and would benefit from education about their disease.
I had to stop and wonder, though, if those who live with diabetes out there feel the urge to “demand a referral.” One of the primary purposes of this meeting is to improve what we do and how we do it. That includes hearing from those for whom we do it.
Do you know what diabetes educators do? Have you had good experiences – or not so good experiences – with diabetes educators? How could diabetes education delivery be improved, from your perspective?