Use of Recommended Communication Techniques by Diabetes Educators

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Diabetes Self-Management Education
• Health Literacy

Background:

• Effective diabetes self-management education relies on educators' communication skills.
• Patient comprehension is a key challenge in diabetes care.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess diabetes educators' use and perceived effectiveness of communication techniques.
• Identify differences in communication practices based on educator characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 522 diabetes educators using the AMA Communication Techniques Survey.
• Survey assessed self-reported use and effectiveness of 14 communication techniques.
• Reliability analysis showed high internal consistency for survey items (α = 0.83–0.87).

Main Results:

• Most frequent techniques: simple language, written materials, Teach-Back.
• Least frequent techniques: follow-up calls, drawing pictures.
• Hispanic educators, those with >16 years experience, and nurses reported using more techniques.
• Health literacy/communication training in schooling correlated with increased technique use.

Conclusions:

• Study provides a baseline of current diabetes educator communication practices.
• Integrating health literacy and communication into curricula may enhance educator competency.
• Suggests opportunities for inter-professional education and research in health literacy and communication.