Psychosocial management of diabetes: Role of diabetes educator

Abstract

AbstractDespite of the evident need for psychosocial competence and sensitivity in diabetes care professionals, this field remains sub optimally described in both International Diabetes Federation/American Diabetes Association and National Diabetes Educator Program curricula. This unfortunate omission is formidable challenge for diabetes care and poses an urgent need to amend existing curricula for training of diabetes educators (DEs). Diabetes education programs have exhaustively described the hard skills and also mention the importance of behavioral change, communication skills and cultural competence, yet soft skills of addressing psychosocial concerns have been given a Cinderella treatment. Diabetes educator (DE) has to be professional, personal and like a family member to patient forming a valuable link between treating clinician and the people with diabetes (PwD). Looking at the gap and the future aspects, a universal approach of sensitization which includes both the beneficiary and policy makers has to be adopted. Better description and importance of psychosocial aspects of diabetes have to be included in the curricula for DE training.