Why are diabetes educators considering licensure?
Patient safety - patients don't know what makes a credentialed diabetes educator and should be protected. Currently, ANYONE can call themselves a diabetes educator. Licensure will create practice standards that will require diabetes educators to stay current through continuing education, and practice evidence based, patient centered, outcome driven diabetes self-management education.
Provider safety - when a doctor or healthcare provider sends a patient for diabetes self-management education, he should know that a referral to the "diabetes educator" means that person knows what they are suppose to know to educate their patient. Only persons who are credentialed should call themselves a "diabetes educator".
Diabetes educator protection - a legal Scope of Practice that includes defined practice within the AADE7 (Healthy eating, Being active, Taking medication, Monitoring, Problem solving, Reducing risks and Healthy coping) will define the quality a diabetes educator brings. It will create a map of how to become a diabetes educator through the competencies associated with the AADE7 implementation. Only persons who are credentialed can call themselves a "diabetes educator".