Purpose: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is an integral component of diabetes care; however, skilled educators and recognized programs are not uniformly available in rural communities.
Methods: To increase access to quality DSME, the Montana Diabetes Control Program and the Montana chapter of the American Association of Diabetes Educators developed a mentoring program with 3 levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. All participants were assisted by a volunteer certified diabetes educator (CDE) mentor. In addition, the program provided technical support for recognition through the American Diabetes Association and the Indian Health Service.
Results: From 2000 to 2005, 90 individuals participated; 76% were nurses and 21% dietitians. Twenty-seven of the 90 enrollees (30%) completed their structured option, and 13 achieved CDE certification. Most provided services in frontier counties (66%). Statewide, the number of CDEs in Montana increased 46% from 52 in 2000 to 76 in 2005. Twenty-five of the 30 facilities that received technical assistance achieved recognition. Statewide, the number of recognized education programs increased from 2 in 2000 to 22 in 2005. Twelve (55%) of these programs were located in frontier counties.
Conclusions: Mentoring and technical support is an effective method to increase personnel skills for DSME and to increase access to quality education programs in rural areas.