Enhancing the Role of Medical Office Staff in Diabetes Care and Education

Abstract

P roviding education for the 18.8 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States is a challenge. Although there are now more than 17,000 certified diabetes educators (CDEs), only about one-third to one-half of the population with diabetes reports having ever received any type of formal diabetes education.1,2 In addition, it is well recognized that, to maximize access to diabetes education, it needs to be available in convenient, community-based settings such as within primary care offices. Enhancing the role of medical office staff (MOS) in primary care to provide additional support for diabetes-related care and education activities can have beneficial results for patient outcomes and physician satisfaction. Consider these facts: The purposes of this article are to: In 2010, the Joslin Diabetes Center collected and analyzed data to better understand the challenges and opportunities for improving diabetes care and education in primary care settings from the perspective of both patients and providers. Quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (focus groups) data were …