Description of a Diabetes Care Specialist
As of 2007, almost 8 percent of the United States population had diabetes, the American Diabetes Association reports. With far-reaching symptoms and complications, multifaceted health care is required to prevent, manage and treat diabetes. Different health care professionals provide care and education to diabetic patients. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetics best manage their condition with a team of providers, including diabetes care specialists.
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Types of Diabetes Specialists
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Many different health care practitioners provide care to patients with diabetes. The number and type of providers vary depending on the individual's distinct experience with the illness. Common diabetes specialists include primary care providers and diabetes nurse specialists/educators.
Primary Care Providers
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The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics seek a primary care provider to head their health care team. This provider can be a family practice physician, an internist or an endocrinologist. Each of these doctors can perform the physical exams and laboratory tests necessary for the management of diabetes symptoms and complications. Primary care providers can also coordinate a multidisciplinary team of practitioners. According to the International Diabetes Foundation, a multidisciplinary team approach improves outcomes for diabetic patients.
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Nurse Specialists and Educators
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Diabetes nurse specialists and educators provide an array of care to diabetics that uses nursing techniques to support health and to minimize or avoid complications of the disease. Diabetes nurse specialists and diabetes educators play similar roles in the treatment of diabetic patients.
In the journal Diabetes Spectrum, diabetes educators are described as professionals with essential skills in biological and social sciences; who are adept at counseling, instruction and communication; and who have prior clinical experience with diabetes. Diabetes educators may hold nursing certifications, but this is not required.
The Irish Diabetes Nurse Specialist Association describes the role of diabetes nurse specialists as one that offers assessment and diagnosis, patient education, ongoing monitoring, nursing interventions and referral to other practitioners.
Goal of Diabetes Specialists
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Diabetes specialists focus much of their work on educating and empowering diabetic patients. By providing patients with information about the disease, strategies for improving health markers such as blood glucose control, and instruction about complications, diabetes specialists arm patients with tools to affect their health status.
Benefits of Working with Diabetes Specialists
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The International Diabetes Foundation cites many benefits that are won by approaching diabetes care with a multidisciplinary team of diabetes specialists. Among the positive outcomes are factors that affect the individual patient and the larger health care system. The benefits of working with diabetes specialists include improved blood glucose control, better rate of patient follow-through, fewer complications, better quality of life, increased patient satisfaction and lower overall health care expenditures.
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References
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Statistics
- International Diabetes Foundation: Improving Patient Understanding of Type 2 Diabetes and the Benefits of the Multidisciplinary Team Approach
- Irish Diabetes Nurse Specialist Association: About Diabetes Nursing
- Diabetes Spectrum: Defining the Role of the Health Education Specialist in the United States
- Photo Credit Diabetic Tools image by painless from Fotolia.com
