The American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) Standards of Care in Diabetes is updated and published annually to supplement the January issue of Diabetes Care. The Standards of Care is developed by the ADA’s multidisciplinary Professional Practice Committee, which comprises expert diabetes health care professionals. It includes the most current, evidence-based recommendations for preventing, diagnosing, and treating adults and children with all forms of diabetes.
Clinical standards for diabetes care are crucial because they provide a structured, science-driven framework that empowers individuals with diabetes, while ensuring consistent, high-quality management of the disease across care settings.
Recognizing the need to bring this framework directly to the people it serves, the ADA introduces on the following 16 pages its inaugural Patient Standards of Care, titled Your Rights and Care Standards: A Guide for People with Type 2 Diabetes. This guide goes beyond education, providing a personal roadmap to empowerment. Aligned with the nine content areas of diabetes self-management education and support, this resource equips people living with type 2 diabetes with a clear understanding of their care rights and a set of targeted questions to ask their doctor and health care team.
This guide is also a practical tool for implementing the ADA’s Standards of Care at the individual level. By translating professional guidelines into accessible, actionable language, it helps bridge the gap between clinical recommendations and everyday decision- making. It supports health care professionals in engaging individuals in shared decision-making, setting personalized goals, and improving outcomes through informed, collaborative care.
Ultimately, the Patient Standards of Care promotes equity, engagement, and excellence in diabetes care, enabling people with type 2 diabetes to navigate their care with confidence, reduce their risks of complications, and live well with diabetes.
