Diabetes Self-Management Training

You may have heard the phrase, Diabetes Self-Management Training, and wondered what that was referring to. Diabetes Self-Management Training, DSMT for short, describes Diabetes Education programs that focus on training persons with Diabetes with the skill set to make daily decisions that manage blood sugar. This education aims to prevent, delay, or lessen the severity of severe diabetes complications by self-care and self-management. Each individual responds to food, activity, stress, and other factors individually. These programs recognize the need to personalize education and goals to meet that person with Diabetes where they are in their journey with Diabetes. You are in the driver’s seat! You see your provider, educator, and other healthcare providers for a few hours each year. All the rest of the time, you make all the decisions. What you eat, staying on schedule with your medications, and how much time you exercise are all under your control. These classes are structured to help you develop behaviors to meet your goals and promote quality of life.

Seven behaviors are focused on during training.

• Healthy Eating
• Being Active
• Taking Medications as Prescribed
• Monitoring your blood sugar levels
• Reducing risks to lower the chances of diabetes-related complications
• Healthy coping with Diabetes and emotional well-being
• Problem-solving to find solutions and take action

The Diabetes Self-Management Training program at DRH Health is certified through the American Diabetes Association. Joy Galloway, MS, RD, LD, CDCES staff the outpatient program. She is our Quality Coordinator and is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Rachel Loyd, RN, is our inpatient diabetes educator, working with patients who are admitted to DRH Health with self-management of their diabetes care.

There are four specific times when a referral for Diabetes Self-Management is recommended:

• At initial diagnosis of any type of Diabetes
• Annually to review status and/or progress or when not meeting treatment targets
• When complicating factors develop
• When transitions in life and care occur

Contact your provider for a referral for outpatient services. They can then send that referral to our scheduling department, which will contact you to make an appointment. Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurance plans cover Outpatient Diabetes Education Services. Self-pay options are available as well.

We have other opportunities to help develop your diabetes self-management skills:

• DRH Person with Diabetes Support Group:  We meet once a month on the first Thursday at 6:00. There is no charge for this meeting.   This is an excellent opportunity to have questions answered about Diabetes Self-Management and to interact with those following a similar journey with Diabetes. For more information, call our Diabetes Education number at 580-251-8461
• DRH Garden Fresh Program:  This program is designed to promote improvement in A1C values through education and an increased intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Qualified individuals (with Diabetes) are placed on a program to receive fresh produce every week. Quarterly A1C testing and diabetes education are provided at our Garden Fresh meetings at the Think Ability Garden Hub or our DRH outpatient facilities. To see if you qualify, contact your healthcare provider.
• Diabetes Technology Focus: Various new technology is now available to help ease Diabetes Self-Management. We provide training on using a continuous glucose monitor to its fullest potential, employing various apps to simplify keeping track of blood glucose readings, medications, and meals consumed, and also with Omnipod Insulin Pumps. Medicare has now approved the use of Omnipod 5 in type 2 diabetes. The benefits of more consistent insulin dosing and saying goodbye to multiple daily injections are very attractive to many. Contact us for more information on how you might benefit from a CGM, insulin delivery devices, or various Diabetes Management technologies.

Joy Galloway, MS, RD, LD, CDCES
Diabetes Educator