Over the last few weeks, I have been
doing more research about what patients with type 2 diabetes can do
to improve their care and learn at the same time. Since the
Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) are doing battle between the two
organizations and haven't enough trained professionals to meet the
need of people with type 2 diabetes to say nothing about those with
pre-diabetes, this blog drew my interest.
What this medical student says makes a
lot of sense. I am aware of some doctors in the more rural states
doing peer diabetes mentor training and some peer-to-peer diabetes
workers. In correspondence with one doctor, he is being pressured by
a CDE member of the ACDE not to train peer diabetes mentors. He
asked the CDE if she would be available to work with the 30 plus type
2 diabetes patients he sees. She said she would not and she already
had a full caseload of patients.
If members of the Academy of Certified
Diabetes Educators are going to work against doctors trying to
improve education for people with type 2 diabetes, then we don't need
them and their hoity-toity attitudes. Most CDEs do not have type 2
diabetes, do not properly assess those of us with type 2 diabetes,
use a one-size-fits-all education, avoid dealing with anyone talking
about depression, and in general do not want to deal with the round
pegs that don't fit in the square holes they want to put us in.
Heather Alva writes that she was
advised to find herself a mentor for medical practice and she says
why not take this idea farther. While this medical student is a
person with type 1 diabetes, her thoughts do work well for those of
us with type 2 diabetes. I will list a few of her points.
#1. Introducing patients to a person
who has controlled their blood glucose and managed a healthy and
fulfilling life is a far more powerful motivator than fear alone.
#2. As our population ages and more of
our patients have an online presence, these online patient networks
may become an increasingly valuable resource.
#3. Consider the positive impact of
asking if our chronic disease patients are networking with other
patients and of knowing good resources to which we can direct them.
#4. Perhaps it is a kinder practice to
link our patients to other patients who are successful individuals
who lead rich, happy, fulfilling lives, who have been enriched and
deepened by life’s challenges, medical or otherwise.
She covers other points and I suggest
reading her blog
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