A Study of Certified Diabetes Educators: A Descriptive Exploration of the Delivery of Diabetes Self Management Support in Community Based Settings in Ontario

There has been a recent shift in diabetes care from hospitals to community settings. This exploratory descriptive study used a convenience sample (n=33) recruited from the Canadian Diabetes Association Educator Sections, in Ontario, to examine the extent to which certified diabetes educators (CDEs) perceive the delivery of diabetes self management support (DSMS), in community settings and the supports and barriers that influence DSMS delivery. Overall, CDEs reported delivering DSMS at a level that reflected consistent implementation at the team level, but lacked system wide consistency. The patient support element most consistently delivered was patient involvement in decisions; the organizational element most frequently endorsed was multidisciplinary teams. Patient related factors were the most frequently reported barriers; the most frequently reported support was a multidisciplinary team approach. This is the first study to examine DSMS delivery in community settings, thus these findings serve as a baseline for future comparison.