Key points
- DSMES must meet required standards in order to be reimbursable.
- National standards allow DSMES services to be "recognized," also known as "accredited."
- Find resources and tools on the most recent national standards.
Overview
Accreditation and recognition processes help ensure that DSMES offers quality education. This also makes the services eligible for reimbursement from Medicare, many private health plans, and some state Medicaid agencies.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) determine if DSMES services meet required standards. Both organizations rely on the latest edition of the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support to evaluate DSMES services.
More resources
Standard 1: Support for DSMES services
The DSMES team will seek leadership support for implementation and sustainability of DSMES. The sponsor organization will recognize and support quality DSMES services as an integral component of diabetes care. Sponsor organizations will provide guidance and support for DSMES to facilitate alignment with organizational resources. This includes the needs of the community being served.
ADCES
Standard 2: Population and service assessment
DSMES will evaluate its chosen population. The team will determine, develop, and enhance the resources, design, and delivery methods that align with the population’s needs and preferences.
ADCES
Standard 3: DSMES team
All members of a DSMES team will uphold the National Standards and implement collaborative DSMES services. Included is evidence-based service design, delivery, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.
At least one team member will be identified as the DSMES quality coordinator. The coordinator will oversee effective implementation, evaluation, tracking, and reporting of DSMES service outcomes.
ADCES
- Community Health Workers' Role in DSMES and Prediabetes: ADCES Practice Paper
- Program Coordinator/Quality Specialist Job Description
ADA
Standard 4: Delivery and design of DSMES services
DSMES services will use a curriculum to guide evidence-based content and delivery. The curriculum, which is a resource for the team, also ensures consistency of teaching concepts, methods, and strategies. DSMES teams will have knowledge of and be responsive to the following:
- Emerging evidence.
- Advances in education strategies.
- Pharmacotherapeutics.
- Technology-enabled treatment.
- Local and online peer support.
- Psychosocial resources.
- Delivery strategies relevant to the population they serve.
ADCES
Standard 5: Person-centered DSMES
Person-centered DSMES is a recurring process over the life span of people with diabetes. Each person’s DSMES plan will be unique and based on their concerns, needs, and priorities. These are collaboratively determined as part of a DSMES assessment. The DSMES team monitors and communicates the outcomes to the diabetes care team, the referring physician, or other qualified health professional.
ADCES
ADA
Standard 6: Measuring and demonstrating outcomes
DSMES services will have ongoing, continuous quality improvement (CQI) strategies in place to measure the impact of the DSMES services. There will be systematic evaluation of process and outcome data to identify areas for improvement and optimization or redesign of services.