Developing the 2020 Diabetes Care & Education Specialist Competencies: A Modified Delphi Study

Purpose The purpose of the study was to develop diabetes care and education specialty competencies that align with the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES). Method A Delphi method of consensus development was used, comprising 5 survey rounds. Interprofessional diabetes specialty experts were asked to identify and rate trends and issues important to diabetes specialists on a global scale. Use of a 5-round Delphi process allowed diabetes care and education specialty experts to refine their views considering the progress of the group's work from round to round. Results A total of 457 diabetes care and education specialists across the United States in various professions participated in the Delphi rounds to identify a final set of 130 competencies across 6 domains. Conclusion Use of the Delphi method as a consensus guideline helped to identify core competencies for diabetes care and education specialists, reflecting the knowledge and skills necessary to provide evidence-based, high-quality care.