Diabetes Education
The Diabetes Center of Abington Memorial Hospital has received continued Recognition for Excellence from the American Diabetes Association. The Diabetes Center, which provides comprehensive diabetes education programs, originally received the designation in 2000.
The ADA Education Recognition effort is a voluntary process which assures that approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants.
Self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment. One consequence of compliance with the National Standards is the greater consistency in the quality and quantity of education offered to people with diabetes. Diabetes patients in an ADA Recognition program will be taught, as needed, self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen. All approved education programs cover the following topics:
- diabetes disease process
- nutritional management
- physical activity
- medications
- monitoring, preventing, detecting and treating chronic complications through risk reduction
- goal setting and problem solving
- psychological adjustment
- preconception care, management during pregnancy and gestational management
Assuring high-quality education for patient self-care is one of the primary goals of the Education Recognition program. Through the support of the healthcare team and increased knowledge and awareness of the diabetes, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for his/her diabetes management. Unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented through education.
"The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of the services they provide," commented Eileen Sturner, registered dietician and manager of the AMH Diabetes Center. "It also helps consumers to identify these quality programs."
Along with comprehensive diabetes education, the Diabetes Center offers several programs to help manage diabetes, including intensified self-management training, nutrition counseling for diabetes, and additional education services such as insulin preparation and self-injection.
For more information, contact The Diabetes Center at 215-672-0899.
