Editor-in-Chief, The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care
The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care2023, Vol. 49(4) 265 –266© The Author(s) 2023Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissionsDOI: 10.1177/26350106231187365journals.sagepub.com/home/tde
The Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCE) has made significant progress over the past 50 years in advancing the practice of diabetes education and care and the role of the diabetes care and education specialist as a necessary healthcare provider. Since 1973, ADCES has represented multidisciplinary professionals who have carried the diabetes self-management message to thousands of people with diabetes. The organization, now over 15,000 strong, was built by and for diabetes care and education specialists and has worked to change the face of healthcare. The 50-year journey brings diabetes care and education specialists to a place ready for continued advancement in diabetes education and care and the healthcare industry.
In this issue of The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care, we invited six individuals to comment on an event or movement that significantly impacted the specialty and helped shape ADCES. In addition, we asked each of the six individuals to choose an article from the journal that highlighted the event or movement. The authors were selected because of the significant role each played in ADCES’ history surrounding the event.
Each of the six commentaries represents a milestone that marks ADCES’s progress and an opportunity to reflect on what will come. Each of the six commentaries is more than just an expression of opinions or offering of explanations about an event; it is an opportunity to step back and examine our scholarly activities over an extended period and be sure we have been consistent with our values and mission. In that sense, each commentary provides insight into where we have been, where we are, and where we should be going. Milestones also provide us with an opportunity to celebrate hard work and accomplishments. Looking back over 50 years, the number of hours spent writing, revising, reviewing, and editing that went into these significant events is overwhelming.
The six significant milestones that have shaped ADCES and covered in the journal include (1) Changing the approach to education: Empowerment and National Standards (Marti Funnell); (2) Certification Credentials - A transformational trajectory (Deborah Hinnen); (3) Technology - A bridge spanning people, place, time, and reality (Kathryn Godley); (4) Diabetes Prevention on a Research and Clinical Continuum (Linda Delahanty); (5) ADCES - Industry Collaboration (Malinda Peeples); and (6) Impact of Research - Achieving Health Equity for Adults with Diabetes (Gretchen Piatt).
Linked to each commentary is an article published in The Diabetes Educator (currently referred to now as The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care) recounting the event with relevant background information to help understand the topic within a larger social context.
In this issue of The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care, are four research studies. Today, members of ADCES understand the importance of research and interpreting data, whether a quantitative or qualitative approach. These four articles contribute to published literature on diabetes education and care in diverse ways. First, the articles examine trends and influences reflected in the journal over the last 50 years. This is particularly true of the article by Molina and Enriquez, who highlight the importance of diabetes health outcomes from a qualitative perspective. Second, as reflected in Charron-Prochownik’s report, research is conducted with those who maintain tribal affiliation and community attachment (American Indian/Alaska Native adolescent daughters and mothers). A study by Massey and others focuses on food insecurity; a national public health concern affecting individuals of all ages. Finally, Rias and others examine the effects of physical activity and inflammatory markers, including platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), on sleep quality in persons with type 2 diabetes.
For 50 years, the journal has played a vital role in providing readers with a source for the science of self-management related to diabetes and comorbid conditions and the growing knowledge related to technology, population health, and public health. The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care is pleased to have provided members with a variety of research, including topics like sleep and glycemic variability in adults with type 1 diabetes, parental experiences of having a child with type 1 diabetes, experiences of patients adopting and adapting to closed-loop insulin delivery systems, advancing diabetes quality measurement, diabetes-related quality of life, sources of online information and content on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and the emotional impact of negative language in people with diabetes, to name a few. While finding relevant peer-reviewers is a constant challenge, it will continue to be essential to provide readers with the quality and variety of research as we look toward the future. While the landscape of diabetes education and care has been transformed since our inception in 1973, the values and mission of ADCES remain fundamentally unchanged and relevant.
From Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Worcester, MA.
Corresponding Author:James A. Fain, PhD, RN, BC-ADM, FADCES, FAAN, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, 55 Lake Ave. North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. (james.fain@umassmed.edu).