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AADE's DANA: One-Stop Healthcare Technology Resource for Diabetes EducatorsTechnology has been a game changer in helping people with diabetes manage their blood sugar, receive life-saving insulin at the right time, eat better and stay active, but the number of devices and apps is overwhelming. What kind of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) might work best for a person who regularly works 10-hour days? How can a diabetes educator in a busy clinic quickly familiarize herself with a new patient's insulin pump? Is there a carb-counting app that helps a person with diabetes keep track of what he's eating? Diabetes educators now have the answers at their fingertips via the Diabetes Advanced Network Access (DANA), a one-stop healthcare resource that helps navigate the many new technologies people with diabetes and prediabetes can use to get and stay healthy. "DANA makes it easy for diabetes educators to keep up with the ever-growing technology options that can significantly enhance outcomes," said Donna Ryan, MPH, RN, RD, CDE, FAADE, 2018 AADE president. "Because these new technologies produce so much data, diabetes educators have become data interpreters, helping people with diabetes understand what the information means and how to best use it to manage their diabetes. DANA will be a key resource in that." According to a survey of diabetes educators conducted by AADE before developing DANA, 91 percent said they would recommend technology that they had learned about, but 85 percent said they didn't have a central resource to turn to. Staying up to date on technology has required a time-consuming and scattershot approach ranging from scouring manufacturers websites and talking to company representatives to reading articles and participating in webinars. "Technology is a godsend that helps people with diabetes better manage their condition by being accountable and tracking reliable, accurate data in real time, but it's extremely time-consuming to stay current," said Lucille Hughes (News - Alert), DNP, MSN/Ed, RN, CDE, director of diabetes education for South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside, N.Y. "DANA helps ensure my visits with people who have diabetes or prediabetes are informative and the best use of our time together." Hughes recommended a fitness app to a patient with prediabetes who the lost 13 pounds by tracking her meals and activity. It was an eye-opener that kept her accountable and made all the difference, she told Hughes. DANA features five content sections:
AADE will continually add content to DANA and is committed to ensuring the resource is a robust, always-current destination that allows diabetes educators to participate in a variety of ways. DANA is currently only available to AADE members. Learn more about DANA at DANATech.org. About AADE: AADE is a multi-disciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving diabetes care through innovative education, management and support. With more than 14,000 professional members including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, exercise specialists, and others, AADE has a vast network of practitioners working with people who have, are affected by or are at risk for diabetes. Learn more at www.diabeteseducator.org, or visit us on Facebook (News - Alert) (American Association of Diabetes Educators), Twitter (News - Alert) (@AADEdiabetes) and Instagram (@AADEdiabetes).
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