Low health literacy and numeracy are common and are associated with poor health outcomes across chronic disease states. In diabetes, health literacy and numeracy are related to diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, self-care behaviors, and glucose control. Health literacy and numeracy are important to diabetes self-care behaviors, which include glucose monitoring, healthy eating, and taking medication.

Eating healthy and being healthy is a lifelong process, and weight loss and weight maintenance are crucial aspects of this process. People require different skill sets and behaviors for weight loss and weight maintenance. Losing weight is an important first step, which is then followed by more a permanent way of living so the weight stays off. Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDCES, BC-ADM FADCES discusses principles of both weight loss and weight maintenance.

Patient engagement is a critical component to the success of digital health solutions because these solutions are designed to facilitate behavioral changes, and behavior change requires a high degree of engagement. Amy Bucher, PhD, shares her behavior change expertise specific to digital health interventions

People with diabetes use social media to meet and interact with a community of people with similar experiences, to share information, and to provide and receive support. People now have an insatiable appetite for information as they make daily choices in managing their diabetes. Kerri Sparling speaks about social media use among people with diabetes.

The provision of appropriate psychosocial support to people with diabetes is crucial to maintaining and improving overall health. William Polonsky, PhD, CDCES discusses engagement strategies for promoting behavior change in diabetes care.

Acceptance of diabetes and its related self-management principles is complex and involves a number of skills and tasks. Assessment of diabetes acceptance may aid in the identification of high-risk patients for whom interventions can be targeted. Mark Heyman, PhD, CDCES shares his experience and case studies related to working with people who are having difficulty with acceptance and diabetes

Healthcare provider burnout is increasing in prevalence and poses a threat to our healthcare system. Burnout was a syndrome identified 30 years ago, and is characterized by depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of low personal accomplishment. Characteristics of the healthcare environment coupled with personal factors place healthcare providers at risk for burnout.