T.J. Regional Health diabetes education program gains ADA recognition

GLASGOW, Ky. – The T.J. Regional diabetes self-management education program in Glasgow is being recognized by the American Diabetes Association.

According to a release by T.J. Regional Health Monday, the program offers high-quality education to patients.

The ADA Education Recognition effort is a voluntary process assuring that approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs.

Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants.

Self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment, according to the release.

One result of compliance with the national standards is greater consistency in the quality and quantity of education offered to people with diabetes, officials say. The participant in an ADA recognized program will be taught, as needed, self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen.

All approved education programs cover the following topics as needed:

• Diabetes disease process
• Nutritional management
• Physical activity
• Medications
• Monitoring, preventing, detecting and treating acute complications
• Preventing, detecting, and treating chronic complications through risk reduction
• Goal setting and problem solving
• Psychological adjustment
• Preconception care
• Management during pregnancy
• Gestational management

Assuring high-quality education for patient self-care is one of the primary goals of the Education Recognition program. Through the support of the health care team and increased knowledge and awareness of diabetes, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for his/her diabetes management. Unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented through self-management education.

“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of the services they provide”, commented Tosha Garmon, population health program coordinator. “And, of course, it helps consumers to identify these quality programs.”

For more information, contact CJ Gass, Diabetes Education Program Navigator at T.J. Regional Health, at 270-659-5538.