Like many seasoned diabetes educators, I used to worry that I wasn’t “teaching” enough during my initial one-hour individual assessment. Over time, I realized that listening to and acknowledging the persons’ feelings about diabetes distress and their living situation was the most critical part of this interview process. This initial meeting provides a vital opportunity to make a meaningful connection and start the long-term collaborative problem-solving process.

In addition, according to researchers on the seven sources of distress, the most significant are feelings of powerlessness, followed by management, hypoglycemia, and eating distress.

Good news! The findings from the EMBARK Trial presented at the American Diabetes Scientific Session in June validated the effectiveness of this whole-person approach. The EMBARK study results demonstrated that providing education, combined with careful listening and attunement to the emotional side of diabetes, significantly decreased diabetes distress.

Coach Beverly Participated in EMBARK Trial 

I was asked to participate in the EMBARK Trial as a diabetes educator. My role was to provide a three-hour informational online program for a cohort of people with type 1 diabetes. In addition, I provided six to eight 20-minute individual sessions with this same cohort over the next few months. In this study, my role was not to answer clinical questions or make insulin adjustments. Instead, I provided “coaching” to help the individuals discover their own best answers to make needed adjustments.

Participating in this study opened my eyes to a new approach to diabetes education and gave me permission not to know all the answers. The truth is that individuals with diabetes hold the solution in themselves. Our most important job is to help them with the process of self-discovery. The EMBARK Trial provided guidelines and tools for diabetes educators, so we had a clear framework for providing effective coaching.

ReVive 5 Program Shares Strategies that worked in EMBARK

After we completed the study, the lead researchers on this trial, Dr. Lawrence Fisher and Dr. Susan Guzman, reached out to see if we could take the information learned from the EMBARK Trial and create a comprehensive CE program for healthcare professionals. One year later, we launched the ReVive 5 Program to share the steps involved in providing whole-person education and increasing comfort and confidence in addressing emotions. Our next ReVive 5 program starts July 19th, and we would love to have you join us.

More About the EMBARK Trial

The EMBARK study was a randomized controlled trial that compared three diabetes distress interventions: Streamline, which was a diabetes educator-led program focused on education and management; TunedIn, which was a psychologist-led program focusing exclusively on the emotional side of diabetes; and FixIt, which integrated elements from the Streamline and TunedIn programs. All sessions were held virtually in groups of eight to 12 adults and occurred over 3 to 4 months. Sessions included initial workshops, one-on-one phone calls, and follow-up group meetings.

There were reductions in diabetes distress with all three interventions, with Streamline participants having a reduction in score of 0.48 points, TunedIn participants reporting a 0.59-point decrease and FixIt participants having a 0.88-point decrease. The reduction in diabetes distress for FixIt participants was greater than what was observed in Streamline (P = .005).

According to lead researcher, Danielle Hessler Jones, PhD, “We feel that these findings suggest that these distress reductions are greatest when interventions integrate education alongside a focus on the emotional side of diabetes.”

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ReVive 5 Diabetes Training Program

“ReVive 5 Program is the best program I have ever attended – should be required for all diabetes educators! Thank you so much for translating this research into practical approaches!!” – Sarah F.

Save $100! Enroll now to watch the webinar on-demand

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ReViVE 5 Diabetes Training Program: 
Unlocking Hidden Barriers to Diabetes Management
Enroll Now and Save $100! 

Recorded & Ready to Watch

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Addressing diabetes distress can be tricky, even for seasoned healthcare professionals.

We invite you to attend this hands-on training program that provides the essential steps to address diabetes distress combined with an innovative approach to glucose management. Our experts offer realistic strategies to address diabetes distress that you can immediately apply to your practice setting. Plus, the ReVive 5 Program provides a breadth of tools and resources to create more meaningful connections with people with diabetes.

Team of Experts: ReVive 5 is taught by a team of 3 Interdisciplinary Experts:

• Lawrence Fisher, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor Emeritus, UCSF
• Susan Guzman, PhD
• Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM

Accredited Training Program:

• 15.0 CEs – Includes the 7-hour ReVive 5 Training Program, Certificate, and 5 FREE bonus courses to supplement content.
• A comprehensive set of assessment tools, educational materials, log sheets, and resources.

“ReVive 5” breathes new life into our relationship with diabetes, bringing a fresh perspective to both the person with diabetes and the provider.

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All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the diabetes certification exams. CBDCE & ADCES does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the certification exams, except for those published by CBDCE & ADCES.