DSME35
• The ongoing process of facilitating the knowledge, skill, and ability necessary for diabetes self-care.
• This process incorporates the needs, goals, and life experiences of the person with diabetes or prediabetes and is guided by
evidence-based research.
• The overall objectives of DSME are to support informed decision making, self-care behaviors, problem solving, and active
collaboration with the health care team and to improve clinical outcomes, health status, and quality of life.
Note: CMS uses the term training instead of education when defining the reimbursable benefit (DSMT); the authors of this
position statement use the term education (DSME) as reflected in the National Standards. In the context of this article, the terms
have the same meaning.
Ongoing DSMS35
• Activities that assist the person with diabetes in implementing and sustaining the behaviors needed to manage his or her condition
on an ongoing basis.
• The type of support provided can be behavioral, educational, psychosocial, or clinical.
Patient-centered care69
• Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient
values guide all clinical decisions.
Shared decision making
• Eliciting patient perspectives and priorities and presenting options and information so patients can participate more actively in care.
Shared decision making is a key component of patient-centered care43,77 and has been shown to improve clinical, psychosocial,
and behavioral outcomes.78
Diabetes-related distress29,61
• This refers to the negative emotional responses (overwhelmed, hopeless, and helpless) and perceived burden related to diabetes.
CDE79
• A health professional who has completed a minimum number of hours in clinical diabetes practice, passed the Certification
Examination for Diabetes Educators (administered by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators [NCBDE]), and has
responsibilities that include the direct provision of diabetes education.
BC-ADM80
• A health care professional who has completed a minimum number of hours in advanced diabetes management, holds a graduate
degree, passed the BC-ADM certification exam (administered by the AADE), and has responsibilities of an increased complexity of
decision making related to diabetes management and education.