Population Health: The Diabetes Educator’s Evolving Role

PURPOSE: The US health care system's focus on high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective care has led payers and provider groups to identify new models with a shift toward value-based care. This perspective on clinical practice describes the population health movement and the opportunities for diabetes educators beyond diabetes self-management education, as well as steps to engage in and drive new care models to demonstrate individual, organizational, and payer value. CONCLUSION: Diabetes educators have an opportunity to position themselves as diabetes specialists for diabetes management, education, and population health care delivery. With expertise that extends beyond diabetes self-management education and with a wide variety of skills, diabetes educators recognize that there is a range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence diabetes health outcomes. Diabetes educators should align with organizational strategic plans and support the population-level performance measures and quality initiatives, thus enhancing the value that diabetes educators bring to health care organizations.