Quality Standards for Diabetes Care Toolkit

Outcomes

When considering a structured education programme, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes (2010) state, ‘the lack of head-to-head comparative trials renders it impossible to recommend one specific programme over another. Therefore, it is important to consider the outcomes that are desirable for the population being treated and to consider whether the trial data support the delivery of those outcomes for that population’ (p 10).
The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) published the updated Diabetes Self-Management Education and Training (DSME/T) Core Outcomes Measures Technical Review. This document is composed of six parts: 1) Background, 2) Defining Outcomes, 3) Outcomes Associated with Diabetes Self-Management Education and Training (DSME/T), 4) Assessment for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), 5) Self-Care Behaviour Outcomes, and 6) Summary and Conclusion. It builds upon the earlier technical review, and it is further supported by AADE practice documents and seven systematic reviews. It also complements the ‘Standards for Outcomes Measurement for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Training’ position statement that provides a framework for educators and DSME/T stakeholders to use as a guide in assessing the value and effectiveness of DSME/T. www.diabeteseducator.org/export/sites/aade/_resources/pdf/general/Outcomes_Technical_Review_Aug_2013.pdf.
Because of the complex nature of DSME, it draws upon a variety of outcome metrics, including those that measure educational, behavioural, clinical health status, utilisation cost, and satisfaction. The AADE recommend application of seven core behavioural outcomes/ performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of DSME: 1) Being active: Physical activity; 2) Healthy eating; 3) Monitoring; 4) Taking medication; 5) Problem solving; 6) Reducing risks; and 7) Healthy coping.