Diabetes self-care. Potential liability of the treating physician

Legal aspects of the team approach to diabetes treatment

Expansion of the team approach to diabetes care will most likely have significant ramifications in malpractice liability law as applied to diabetes educators, physicians, treatment teams, and supporting hospitals. This analysis focuses on the nature of the team approach to diabetes care, nationally promulgated standards for its practice, and predictions of the parameters of malpractice law. The establishment of a national certification procedure identifies specialists in diabetes education, allowing for the expanded roles of diabetes educators, and promotes a minimum standard of care to which practitioners may be held. Likewise, the criteria for recognition by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) serve as guidelines for diabetes education programs. Current legal decisions suggest that these standards may be applied nationally as measures of malpractice liability. Application of certification guidelines may minimize allegations of malpractice.

Diabetes patient education: nurse specialist approach

The diabetes nurse specialist must possess many skills and be able to work in many settings with a variety of patients and with other profes sionals. This paper discusses the skills and knowledge required to deliver high-quality care to persons with diabetes mellitus and the kind of training that will best achieve this level of care. It is concluded that specialized professional training in diabetes management is necessary.