A Good Diabetes Cousellor ‘Cares’: Soft Skills In Diabetes Counselling

Keeping this in mind, many countries have developed efficient system for training and registration of qualified educators. Regulatory and advisory bodies such as the American Association of Diabetics Educators and the Diabetes Education Study Group (Europe) monitor the quality of education by recommending minimal/optimal guidelines which centers try to follow. Many countries, however, lag behind. While most diabetologists in underserved countries have accepted the need for focused diabetic counselors, they are hampered by the lack of qualified staff. This means that anyone who is ‘willing’ or ‘available’, whether a clinical nurse or a dietician, is taken as a diabetes care team member. He or she is taught a few rudimentary facts of diabetes, and given the label of educator.