So, what is a comprehensive diabetes education program and where does one do that?
Does anybody know?
When you were first diagnosed, didn't they send you to "school" to learn how to take care of yourself? It's been a long time since I went to an education session, but when I was first diagnosed (27 years a go), I went to a weekend-long training program for diabetes education. I had to bring a partner with me who was also there to learn everything there was to know in case they ever needed to take care of me. My mother was the one who came with me. I took the class at Joslin Clinic in Boston because that is near where I live. I don't remember if it cost anything or how much. I think insurance might have paid for it. Anyway, the class was taught be two diabetic nurse educators who went over everything from diet to finger sticks to how to adjust for sick days. They finished up the session with a slide show of all the nasty complications that we had to look forward to if we didn't take care of ourselves. I have thought many times through the years that I should take a refresher course. Anyway, call your local hospital or diabetes clinic, or ask your endocrinologist for information on a program being offered near you.
I hAd to have a consult with a dietician (frankly, useless if not dangerous info), and do an ‘advanced carb counting’ class, then submit 2 wks of logs showing how much I’d eaten, bolused, etc. That was all required by my endo’s practice though, not medicare. my ins covered it, no idea what it cost.
I was in the hospital for a week when I was diagnosed at 14 years old in 1975. They had one on one sessions with the dietician and with the nurses to learn what to eat and how to take insulin and what to do on sick days. Since then I have only just recently met with a CDE to go over what I am doing. I would think that if you learned how to take insulin, carb count, check you blood sugar etc that would be considered comprehensive enough. But I know the Joslin clinic in Boston offers adult education programs but I doubt very much you will get much out of it.
Yes I have been to a pump school and was even given a written test. When I received my pump I had to prove that I could set up the pump, change infusion sets and count carbs. The class was one on one and it took about 5 hrs total to cover everything, 3 hrs before they ordered my pump and 2 hours on start up day...The clinic I go to has over 300 pump users and a diabetes education center with several RN CDE/CPE on staff.
This type of training would not be free or available on line. They are looking for the formal ADA (american Diabetes Association)or AADE (American Assiciation of Diabetes Educators)accredited diabetes classes usually offered through hospital based programs. Hopefully you took something similar when you were diagnosed or sometime in your life and that would count. As others have noted it’s usually about 10 hours of classes because that’s now what Medicare and most insurances will reimburse. When I took them they were 15 hours coz they paid for more hours back then.
And yes attendance is often a prerequisite for qualifying for a pump for a lot of insurances apparently. It’s been a requirement on our policies for as long as I can remember and I’ve been on a pump for 11 years now. I didn’t have to repeat the class each time but from what I remember my dr had to say yes I’ve been educated every time I’ve gotten a new pump which is 3 times now.
And then of course after you get your pump there will be additional pump specific training on top of the comp class too.