The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care2024, Vol. 50(5) 337–338© The Author(s) 2024Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissionsDOI: 10.1177/26350106241289895journals.sagepub.com/home/tde
Editor-in-Chief
The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care is the peer-reviewed research journal for the science of selfmanagement related to diabetes and co-morbid conditions and for the growing body of knowledge related to technology, population health, and public health. Articles published in The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care include original research, systematic or integrative literature reviews, letters-to-the-editor, and editorials. With the future of scientific writing evolving, two new types of article submissions will be introduced this fall 2024: Quality Improvement (QI) projects and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) initiatives. While there are different types of scholarly literature, research, QI, and EBP are equally important and have many similarities, but they vary in purpose and processes.1 In introducing QI projects and EBP initiatives, it is essential to make the distinction and provide clarity between each type of scholarship.
QI is a systematic approach to improving processes and outcomes for patients and systems within a clinical setting.2,3 It is data-driven and focuses on activities that will enhance a process or patient’s experience to improve the quality of care. QI assumes many forms and is effective if it is individualized to meet the needs of a particular setting or population. For example, specific QI projects in diabetes care and education may include reducing inpatient hypoglycemic events with a focus on mealtime insulin, identifying and screening patients in primary care who are at risk for prediabetes or diabetes, minimizing the number of patients with undiagnosed diabetes, and improve screening for diabetes distress and depression in a pediatric diabetes outpatient clinic. In each of these examples, the focus is not on generating new knowledge but instead on improving workflow processes to increase quality.
The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care encourages authors to submit high-quality, full-scale QI projects/reports associated with the science of self-management related to diabetes care and comorbid conditions that have implemented solid practice, education, or policy implications. In addition, please use The Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0) guidelines4 as a framework for writing up a QI report.
EBP uses the best available evidence to guide clinical decision-making about the care of individual patients.3 It is evidence-driven and focuses on providing quality care based on the strongest evidence possible in combination with clinician expertise and patient preferences. EBP uses the most relevant evidence to answer a clinical or education type question. For example, specific EBP initiatives in diabetes care and education may include the use of telehealth to improve diabetes management (glucose stability), the use of a comprehensive diabetes management flow sheet with laboratory and preventive measures to facilitate documentation of diabetes standards, and the use of a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)-modeled lifestyle intervention and individualized medical nutrition therapy (MNT) to help prevent diabetes. The best quality care possible is based on the strongest evidence available in each of these examples.
The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care encourages authors to submit high-quality, full-scale manuscripts that evaluate EBP in diabetes care and education. These manuscripts should focus on knowledge translation and utilization and identify the strongest levels of evidence that guide clinical practice and policy related to diabetes.
When writing up the results of either a QI project or EBP initiative, identify the project’s implications for diabetes care and education specialists. In addition, highlight aspects of the project that increase the chances of sustainability going forward. Finally, manuscripts that report pilot studies with small samples will not typically be considered for publication.
James A. Fain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6287-1413
Editorial