Perspectives on Diabetes Care
This is the official blog of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists where we share recent research and professional opinions on diabetes care and education.
Current & Past ADCES Blog Articles
The Beauty That is DANA
Aug 6, 2018, 08:50 AM
Today's guest blogger, LaurieAnn Scher, MS, RD, CDE, is the co-chair of AADE's Technology Community of Interest.
- Do you have a client who is ready to go from multiple daily injections to a pump?
- Are you looking for an app to help your client’s parents keep track of their carb intake?
- Do you have someone who is on a device and you are spending an inordinate amount of time during your visit because their alarms somehow got switched and they are going off too frequently?
- Do you need information on how a client should use their newly prescribed injectable medication?
I’m sure you have faced scenarios like these in the past and have cobbled together resources to tackle these issues, but AADE’s DANA is now available to help you and your clients.
In addition to covering the physiology of diabetes and diabetes self-management, diabetes educators also play a role as the go-to health professional for those interested in learning about new technologies that make diabetes management “easier.” The large number of clinical and consumer technological resources available that have the potential to drive behavior change and improve health means the diabetes educator needs to know much more than peak insulin times and the number of carbohydrates in a pep-o-mint lifesaver (4 grams). That is why DANA was created. Diabetes educators use technology to help their clients achieve optimal health outcomes while reducing costs – DANA will empower the educator to guide people with diabetes (PWD) and other health professionals in collaborative decision making.
For all of us who live for, look forward to and love the technology that improves the lives of millions of people with diabetes, DANA will make the job of staying up-to-date infinitely easier.
Technology is defined as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.” For diabetes educators, the pace at which the applications expand and advance sometimes feels akin to the speed of light, or maybe the speed of sound during slow weeks. When we have one technology fully mastered, another one comes along that we need to understand and learn so that we may translate and teach it to our clients who have varying levels of education. Furthermore, we are responsible for explaining new diabetes tech to other healthcare professionals, insurance companies and family members who may question a person’s desire or need to utilize the new technology. And that, I offer, is the beauty of DANA! For all of us who live for, look forward to and love the technology that improves the lives of millions of people with diabetes, DANA will make the job of staying up-to-date with diabetes tech infinitely easier.
So, take DANA for a couple of spins around the block to get used to it, see how you can use it in your (work)day and let me know what you think. As someone in the diabetes tech field, I am thrilled to be part of this effort. The potential innovation that can be accomplished with DANA as a resource is only limited by our creativity. I look forward to hearing “best practices” from everyone once DANA becomes indispensable in their workday!