If you have diabetes, you probably rely on your endocrinologist or primary care physician for the basics of your treatment plan, including diet and medications. Increasingly, however, the day-to-day management of diabetes falls to a diabetes nurse educator, a person with a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) credential. In this Health Alert, Johns Hopkins explains the role of the nurse educator.

People with diabetes must assume a great deal of responsibility for their own care. At times, learning how to manage diabetes may seem daunting -- as though there should be a school for it. That's why a diabetes educator can be an invaluable resource.

Diabetes educators are healthcare professionals who work closely with individuals to help them understand how to control their diabetes and lower the risk of complications. They teach everything from explaining the role of healthy eating and exercise to instructing people on how to monitor blood glucose and inject insulin.

Diabetes educators may work with people individually or in groups. Doctors and nurses may serve as diabetes educators, but trained professionals from a variety of fields also fill the role, including dietitians, pharmacists, exercise physiologists, and others.

There are about 15,000 certified diabetes educators in the United States, according to the American Association of Diabetes Educators. Studies show that patients who work with diabetes educators have lower HbA1c levels (a test used to assess blood glucose control over the previous two to three months) than those who do not. What's more, a recent study found that people with diabetes who attend at least one educational session may reduce their chances of being hospitalized by up to 34%. Your doctor can refer you to a diabetes educator in your community.