Looking for Support To Manage Diabetes?

Key takeaways:

  • Diabetes self-management education and support programs (DSMES) are taught by multidisciplinary healthcare teams trained to help people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes set, reach, and maintain their individual health goals.
  • DSMES programs have been shown to help people with diabetes feel more empowered to manage their diabetes, lower their A1C, and increase time in range.
  • Most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B, cover up to 10 hours of diabetes education as an initial benefit.

Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is a method of care designed to help you learn how best to take care of your health and life, holistically, together.

The approach aims to help you understand the optimal way to eat, stay active, and attend to your mental health and life obligations, while keeping your glucose levels in range.

Recognizing that each person’s diabetes and life circumstances are unique, DSMES aims to tailor care to fit a person’s whole life. The programs place attention on the individual beyond just the need to manage a chronic disease.

Benefits of diabetes education

DSMES programs have been shown to help people with diabetes feel more empowered to manage their diabetes and lower their A1C by as much as 1%. In addition, DSMES services can help people slow down health complications related to diabetes, like eye damage and heart disease, or avoid these complications altogether.

Benefits of DSMES include:

  • Improved A1C levels
  • Improved management of blood pressure and cholesterol levels
  • Higher rates of medication adherence
  • Fewer or less severe diabetes-related complications
  • Healthier lifestyle behaviors, such as better nutrition, increased physical activity, and use of primary care and preventive services
  • Enhanced self-confidence to manage diabetes
  • Decreased health care costs, including fewer hospital admissions and readmissions

Anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can benefit from DSMES. Caregivers and healthcare providers can also benefit. For instance, parents of children with diabetes may find it helpful to learn diabetes management alongside their children. Through DSMES, healthcare providers can stay up-to-date on diabetes self-care practices as well.

How does DSMES work?