Teaching Allied Health Professionals About Self-Management

Management of diabetes demands that informed patients cooperate with knowledgeable and concerned health professionals in a planned system of health care. It is imperative that each of the numerous health professionals caring for these patients has an understanding of his/her specific role and responsibilities as it relates to the entire health care team and to the individual patient. Acute, in-depth, and continuing phases of diabetes education are briefly described and the importance of altering patient behavior by contracting is documented.