Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support
Summary
Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) constitutes a cornerstone of effective long-term diabetes care. By equipping people with diabetes with the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their condition, DSMES interventions address key aspects of daily life, including blood glucose monitoring, nutritional choices, physical activity, medication adherence and stress coping. Programmes often blend didactic teaching with experiential learning, goal setting, problem-solving workshops and psychosocial support. These components seek not only to improve metabolic control but also to foster enduring behaviour change and reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications. Globally, DSMES is delivered in diverse settings—from hospital outpatient units and primary care clinics to community centres and digital platforms—allowing for flexible, culturally tailored and patient-centred approaches. Evidence indicates that sustained participation in DSMES yields improvements in glycaemic indicators, quality of life and health-care utilisation, reinforcing its value as a cost-effective strategy to alleviate individual and societal burdens of diabetes.
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Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in diabetes self-management education and support across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES): A structured process that provides individuals with diabetes the knowledge, skills and ongoing assistance required to manage their condition effectively.
Glycaemic control: The maintenance of blood glucose levels within recommended targets to minimise the risk of acute and long-term complications.
HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin): A biomarker reflecting average blood glucose over the preceding two to three months, used to assess long-term glycaemic control.
Self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments, crucial for sustained self-management.
Tele-education: The delivery of educational content via digital or telecommunication technologies, enabling remote access to learning and support services.
References
- Usability evaluation of the educational website “understanding my diabetes” for Mexican patients with type 2 diabetes. Frontiers in Public Health (2024).
- A qualitative study exploring the barriers to attending structured education programmes among adults with type 2 diabetes. BMC Health Services Research (2022).
- A randomized trial of comparing video telecare education vs. in-person education on dietary regimen compliance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a support for clinical telehealth Providers. BMC Endocrine Disorders (2022).
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