Development of the American Association of Diabetes Educators' Diabetes Self-management Assessment Report Tool:

Purpose The purpose of this article is to describe the development and testing of a new tool for collecting patient information for diabetes self-management education (DSME): the Diabetes Self-management Assessment Report Tool (D-SMART®). The D-SMART was designed through expert panel consensus based on a hybrid conceptual framework and is intended to serve multiple functions at the level of the patient, the program, and the field. Methods The D-SMART has completed 3 rounds of pilot testing and is currently undergoing a fourth round, with each round resulting in revisions to the original instrument. Results Findings from the pilot testing indicate that the instrument has acceptable reliability, validity, and sensitivity (or responsiveness) to change. A full-scale field test is currently under way, in which data from the D-SMART will be used to guide the delivery of services and to evaluate and enhance program functioning with a goal of improving education and care. Additional data from the field test are reported elsewhere, and further analyses are planned. Conclusions The D-SMART provides educators with a tool that measures patients' behaviors and identifies those priorities for, and barriers to, change.