Diabetes education

What is diabetes education?

Diabetes education is a specialty field of practice and a specific intervention of diabetes management and care. Credentialled Diabetes Educators (CDEs) have been recognised by Medicare Australia, the Department of Veterans Affairs and private medical insurers as the appropriately qualified providers of diabetes education.

Diabetes education is about providing people with diabetes with the knowledge, skills, motivation and confidence to effectively manage their condition.

Staying current with advancements in diabetes education

As diabetes management continues to evolve, many CDEs are enhancing their skills by pursuing new credentials, such as ADEA’s insulin pump therapy microcredential. This ongoing education empowers CDEs to support their clients with the latest tools and knowledge. To learn more about these ADEA microcredentials, click here.

When to refer to diabetes education?

People living with diabetes should be referred to a CDE under various circumstances, including:

• Initial diagnosis of diabetes
• Initiating or adjusting oral diabetes medicines or insulin therapy
• Suboptimal glycaemic control or failure to achieve other goals or desired clinical targets
• Changes in lifestyle or life stage changes
• Recurrent episodes of acute complications of diabetes
• Post hospitalisation for diabetes-related conditions e.g. foot infection, severe hypoglycaemia, and diabetic ketoacidosis
• On diagnosis of chronic diabetes complications
• When planning pregnancy, during pregnancy and in the post-natal period
• If experiencing diabetes-related stress or feeling ‘burnt out’ by diabetes at its demands

Role of Credentialled Diabetes Educators

CDEs assist people with diabetes and their families or carers to gain an understanding of the risks and benefits of lifestyle choices and treatment options.

CDEs work collaboratively with individuals and their families to:

• Provide insights into treatment and management options
• Assist with self-monitoring of blood glucose
• Prevent and manage complications
• Support lifestyle adaptations in the context of daily responsibilities
• Implementation of strategies to reducing risks and early detection of chronic diabetes complications
• Adapting to and reconciling the demands of diabetes with the demands of employment, family and social responsibilities and community involvement

How to Find a CDE

To locate diabetes education services in your area, please use the ‘Find a CDE‘ search function on the ADEA website.