The U-M’s Adult Diabetes Education Program continues to expand its staff, services and outreach in response to the growing population of adults facing a diagnosis of type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes. Ours is one of a select number of programs certified by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Our nurses and dietitians are Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs). We offer more programs and services for adults with type 1 diabetes than anywhere else in Michigan and the surrounding region.
Targeting adults 18 years of age and older who are newly diagnosed with diabetes, as well as anyone who would like an update to improve their diabetes management, the program offers a wide range of individual, group and self-guided educational opportunities, including:
- Group classes in diabetes self-management (at our main clinic and four satellite locations)
- One-on-one pre-conception counseling for women with diabetes who wish to ensure a safer pregnancy
- Nutritional counseling sessions
- Personalized disease management
- Insulin pump training (with staff certified on four insulin pumps)
- Continuous Glucose Monitor training and support
- Free diabetes support groups for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- U-M-authored educational materials
A free educational tool for providers and patients everywhere
One of the newest tools available through U-M is Diabetes 101: Taking Charge! This 56-page educational handbook covers topics such as meal planning, carbohydrate counting, monitoring blood sugar, exercise, medications, stress management, managing sick days and much more. Written by the certified diabetes educators, physicians and staff of the U-M Adult Diabetes Clinic, the state-of-the-art handbook reflects the latest research findings and was developed with feedback from several patient groups.
In addition to a printed version, the handbook is available in PDF form for health providers and patients everywhere to download and use. “We hope the Diabetes 101 guidebook will become the standard diabetes education handout for newly diagnosed patients, as well as those needing additional information,” said Sacha Uelmen, R.D., C.D.E., director of the Adult Outpatient Diabetes Education Program. “It’s appropriate for type 1 or type 2 patients as a basic reference meant to enhance learning, but not a replacement for diabetes education classes.”
For use in your own practice, download a printable PDF version of Diabetes 101 – Taking Charge! HERE.
Same-Day Patient Education
Education is a key component in treating every patient with diabetes, as evidenced by the availability of diabetes educators during every endocrinology visit to the U-M Adult Diabetes Clinic. In addition to providing support as needed between clinic visits, diabetes educators are an integral part of the care team, assisting physicians and patients with questions and onsite diabetes education counseling, during or immediately after the patient’s physician appointment.
Gestational Diabetes Support
The U-M Health System places special emphasis on meeting the needs of women with gestational diabetes. All patients with gestational diabetes are referred to the Gestational Diabetes Class. Moreover, they are seen individually by a U-M endocrinologist specializing in diabetes and pregnancy immediately following class. Women with gestational diabetes are followed weekly by our CDE expert in pregnancy and diabetes via phone, email and follow-up appointments to assure blood sugar management for a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Preventing Diabetes through Pre-Diabetes Education
The U-M Adult Outpatient Diabetes Education Program is also working to stem the tide of newly-diagnosed patients by piloting the innovative National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) curriculum from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) at two UMHS satellite health centers. The NDPP class is a year-long lifestyle intervention program to prevent type 2 diabetes. It focuses on the lifestyle interventions needed to prevent and reverse pre-diabetes, including healthy eating choices and nutrition, physical activity, and emotional components such as managing stress, problem-solving, and staying motivated.
The evidence supporting the CDC program is compelling:
- Making modest behavior changes helped participants lose 5% to 7% of their body weight—10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.
- These lifestyle changes reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% in people with pre-diabetes.
Find out more about diabetes education, treatment and research at the University of Michigan here.