The AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors

Amparo Gonzalez, RN,CDE

                The American Association of Diabetes Educators has provided diabetes educators with the AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors in an effort to standardize an outline to provide diabetes self-management training (DSMT). These measures are based on published evidence that supports the application in practice of the AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors. 

                As we all know, our role as a diabetes educator is to provide training and support in DSMT. Diabetes is not managed in the healthcare provider office, but by the patient every moment of his/her life. The AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors is designed to give educators a way to measure patient behaviors, determine the effectiveness of programs at both the practice and individual patient levels, and to measure the economic impact of DSMT.

                As it is well known that attaining knowledge does not result in behavior change, the most important outcome for DSMT is lifestyle behavior change.  Following are the AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors:

                Healthy Eating - Making healthy food choices, understanding portion sizes and learning the best times to eat are essential for patients to manage their diabetes.

                Being Active - Regular activity is important for overall fitness, weight management and blood glucose control. An important role of diabetes educators is to determine the type and amount of activity that is safe and beneficial and to encourage regular physical activity in our patients. 

                Monitoring - Includes blood glucose, A1C, lipids and blood pressure. It is important that patients understand their individual goals and the factors that affect the values. Educators need to encourage all patients/care-givers to monitor blood glucose according to the recommended schedule, and ensure that patients understand how to use the results to adjust their self-management routine.

                Taking Medications - It is important for educators to know how the different medications function in order to utilize them correctly in improving blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure. Taking medications as prescribed is a challenge for many patients.

                Problem Solving - Many daily situations will require problem-solving. It is important for patients to have a broad knowledge of diabetes self-management to be able to make decisions that will result in optimal diabetes control. Patients must learn to identify potential problems and make plans on how to solve them.

                Reducing Risk - Studies prove that acute and long-term complications can be reduced by good preventive health practices. Reducing high risk behavior will add to overall positive outcomes. Smoking cessation, getting regular check-ups, and performing daily self-care management activities will reduce complication risks.

                Healthy Coping - Dealing with diabetes everyday requires a good support network and resources.

                Although most of us are familiar with these basic self-care concepts, implementation of this tool can help ensure that each of these topics is covered with every patient and can help us measure the impact of DSMT and promotion of long-term health. For more information on the AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors and how to purchase them for use in your practice, visit the AADE Website at www.diabeteseducator.net.

Amparo Gonzalez is Director of the Specialty Center for Diabetes Care at St. Joseph's Hospital.