Health Care Provider Follow-Up

Key points

Health care providers and diabetes care and education specialists should follow up with DSMES participants to help them self-manage their diabetes and to reinforce self-care advice in everyday life.

A health care provider following up with a patient by phone

Importance of follow-up

Health care providers typically discuss the importance of self-care with patients once they receive a diabetes diagnosis including:

  • Monitoring blood glucose.
  • Taking medication as prescribed.
  • Doing regular physical activity.
  • Eating healthy.
  • Managing weight.

By actively following up with people with diabetes, providers can help increase enrollment in DSMES services and reinforce self-care advice.

Resources to support follow-up

Referring health care providers and DSMES providers can add follow-up reminders to their routine processes. Below are additional resources that can be integrated into DSMES services to support participants make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Review the 5 Actions for Health Care Teams series. Share the action steps and key messages for preventing common diabetes-related complications and enhancing quality of life:

Build in tracking systems and reminders for follow-up and to encourage ongoing referral to or continued participation in DSMES services.

Help participants adopt more long-term strategies—from eating at restaurants to managing stress—using these resources:

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Diabetes