The National Member Practice Survey (NPS) of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) is conducted biannually to describe the current diabetes education practice in the United States and identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.

The 2012 NPS contained 49 questions about diabetes education providers, patients, and programs. The survey, sent electronically to approximately 13 000 AADE members, was completed by 3644 members. Testing was completed using a significance level of .05 or 95% confidence.

While nurses and dietitians continued to comprise the majority of diabetes educators in 2012, a significant increase from 2010 occurred in the respondents identified as pharmacists (5% vs 4%). Individuals holding the certified diabetes educator (CDE) credential decreased slightly in 2012 from 2010. Practice settings for diabetes education increased significantly in 2012 versus 2010 for hospital outpatient/clinic (44% vs 37%) and hospital inpatient (20% vs 15%) settings. Prediabetes education was provided by 78% of respondents. Nearly 53% of educators indicated they devoted more than 4 hours per week to data entry, significantly higher than any other amount of time. Collection of clinical and behavioral outcomes increased significantly in 2012 from 2010.

Results of the 2012 NPS provide evidence that the practice of diabetes education is continuing to adapt to evolving models of health care in the United States by expanding the mix of practitioners providing education, engaging in necessary system support activities, and broadening the range of patients seen to include individuals at risk of developing diabetes.