Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT)
What is the Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) Program?
Diabetes Self-Management Training is an evidence-based standard of care program that incorporates the needs and goals of people with diabetes into a personalized plan that has proven to improve health outcomes.
DSMT Patient Journey
Step 1
Referral made by clinician.
Step 2
Schedule DSMT initial session (1-1 virtual or in person or group session) with Diabetes Educator.
Step 3
Attend Visit: 60-minute virtual or in-person 1-1 consultation or group session. Participants can switch to a different format (1-1, group, video, etc.) after the first visit.
Step 4
Up to 10 hrs of education (individual or group) in the first year following the referral. Patients are eligible for up to 2 hrs of follow up education each year, indefinitely.
A Real Patient Story With Leon
By Eugene Arnold, M.S., RD/LD/CDE
This episode features Leon, who tells about his experiences as someone who has had diabetes for many years, and about his own diabetes self-management. Leon speaks with Eugene Arnold, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and the quality coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Center’s Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) Program.
For more information, please refer to The Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Diabetes.
Criteria Overview
| Program Element | Description |
| Eligibility | Has type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes mellitus * Prediabetes is not covered |
| Service Providers | Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist |
| Care Delivery Method | In-person and telemedicine individual appointments, small group sessions (4-8 people) |
| Curriculum Topics | Disease process, nutrition, physical activity, glucose monitoring, acute and chronic complication management, behavior change counseling |
| Oversight | American Diabetes Association (ADA) |
*Note: People with prediabetes are not eligible and should be referred to our Diabetes Prevention Program
What are the benefits of DSMT?
DSMT can:
- Improve hemoglobin A1c levels
- Improve control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Improve medication adherence
- Decrease severe diabetes-related complications
- Increase healthier lifestyle behaviors, such as better nutrition, increased physical activity, and use of primary care and preventive services
- Enhance self-efficacy
- Decrease health care costs, including fewer hospital admissions and readmissions
Critical times to enroll in DSMT include:
- At diagnosis
- At least once per year
- When complicating factors arise (physical, financial, emotional)
- When transitions in care occur (new insurance, living situation)
What does DSMT offer?
Program topics covered include:
- Practical and relevant nutrition guidance
- Exercise and Type 1 diabetes
- Weight loss with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
- Medications to help manage Type 2 diabetes
- How to monitor, interpret and manage your glucose levels
- Continuous glucose monitoring services
- Insulin pump education and optimization
- Healthy coping skills
- Preventing and managing diabetes related complications
Contact Us
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410-367-2042
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