National Role Delineation Study of the Board Certification for Advanced Diabetes Management: Evidence-Based Support of the New Test Content Outline

Duties, tasks, knowledge and skills of an obesity medicine physician: A practice analysis

Background

Given the evolving nature of obesity medicine, periodic evaluation of its clinical practice is needed to ensure that certification requirements address real-world experience. Practice analysis is a systematic approach to define a field's body of knowledge, and its results can inform the content outline and examination blueprint for a certification examination. This study describes the 2023 practice analysis conducted by the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM).

Methods

Initially, 14 obesity medicine physicians participated in a practice analysis panel, resulting in 3 duties and 30 tasks required for competent practice of obesity medicine physicians. Each task included steps, knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the task. ABOM then recruited 645 certified obesity medicine physicians from its database to participate in a validation survey to rate the frequency [scale: never (0) to very frequently (5)] and importance [scale: not important (0) to very important (3)] of each task. Survey participants could also provide open-ended comments.

Results

Among validation survey participants (n = 645), the most common primary medical specialties reported were internal medicine (46.0 %), family medicine (33.8 %), and pediatrics (11.2 %). Years practicing obesity medicine varied with 45.3 % reporting 1-4 years, 26.0 % 5-9 years, and 28.7 % ≥ 10 years in practice. Most tasks were performed frequently (mean score ≥4.0) and rated as important (mean score ≥2.0). All tasks were retained based on the frequency and importance ratings. Survey results informed the weighting in the examination blueprint.

Conclusion

There was consensus among practicing ABOM-certified physicians who participated in the validation survey in the tasks required for competent obesity medicine practice. Our practice analysis approach was a structured process that engaged obesity medicine physicians and captured the breadth and depth of knowledge required for obesity medicine. The new content outline and examination blueprint developed will be implemented with the 2025 ABOM certification exam administration.

Diabetes education self-management intervention in improving self-efficacy for people with type 2 diabetes in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A systematic review

AIMS

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of diabetes education self-management intervention for improving self-efficacy for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

METHODS

The Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology was applied to conduct a systematic review of type 2 diabetes interventions published from 2012 to 2022. This involved searching major databases, including Ovid, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The focus was on studies involving adults aged 18 or older with a Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) diagnosis, randomized controlled trials, and full-text English-language articles, while excluding materials such as editorials and conference abstracts.

RESULTS

A total of 689 relevant articles initially retrieved; ultimately, only five studies met the inclusion criteria of this review. All five included studies were randomised control trials, and all five studies indicated that there was a significant and positive impact of diabetes education self-management intervention on diet and physical activities. Furthermore, three of the included studies indicated that interventions led to a substantial reduction in the levels of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) among people with type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes education is an effective way of improving the health outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes education self-management interventions significantly increase the self-efficacy of people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) by enabling them to effectively control their blood glucose levels. Therefore, this study recommended that the GCC countries need to implement education intervention programmes to help and support people with Type 2 Diabetes.

Core competencies for diabetes educators: A scoping review

AIMS

Diabetes educators (DEs) play a major role in diabetes education and management. The aims of this scoping review were to compile the currently identified core competencies for DEs and, to review the currently used criteria to assess DEs' core competencies.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Five databases (Ovid, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed) were searched. Keywords as well as inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified as search strategies and study selection for this review.

RESULTS

A total of (n = 22) publications comprising sixteen peer-reviewed studies and six professional-organisations (grey literature) were selected for review, as they listed the core competencies of DEs. The most common core competencies were related to knowledge and skills in diabetes self-management education, knowledge of pathophysiology and epidemiology, teaching skills, clinical skills and cultural competency. Evidently, an appropriate tool for assessing DEs' competencies is currently unavailable.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the importance of diabetes education in the care of people living with diabetes, it is imperative that DEs possess competencies in diabetes education and management. The review also identified the need to develop a globally applicable core competency assessment tool for DEs.

Core competencies for diabetes educators: a scoping review protocol

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the proposed review is, firstly, to map the core competencies for diabetes educators, as reported in the literature, and secondly, to review currently used criteria for core competencies in the assessment of diabetes educators.

Patient/Family Education for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Oncology Patients

There is a paucity of data to support evidence-based practices in the provision of patient/family education in the context of a new childhood cancer diagnosis. Since the majority of children with cancer are treated on pediatric oncology clinical trials, lack of effective patient/family education has the potential to negatively affect both patient and clinical trial outcomes. The Children's Oncology Group Nursing Discipline convened an interprofessional expert panel from within and beyond pediatric oncology to review available and emerging evidence and develop expert consensus recommendations regarding harmonization of patient/family education practices for newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients across institutions. Five broad principles, with associated recommendations, were identified by the panel, including recognition that (1) in pediatric oncology, patient/family education is family-centered; (2) a diagnosis of childhood cancer is overwhelming and the family needs time to process the diagnosis and develop a plan for managing ongoing life demands before they can successfully learn to care for the child; (3) patient/family education should be an interprofessional endeavor with 3 key areas of focus: (a) diagnosis/treatment, (b) psychosocial coping, and (c) care of the child; (4) patient/family education should occur across the continuum of care; and (5) a supportive environment is necessary to optimize learning. Dissemination and implementation of these recommendations will set the stage for future studies that aim to develop evidence to inform best practices, and ultimately to establish the standard of care for effective patient/family education in pediatric oncology.