Jared McArdle

06/02/2014
Healthcare Marketing

American Diabetes Association

There are many health care organizations in the world. Each organization has its own
target demographic, geography, health risk, usage level and benefits. "The American Diabetes
Association is the nation's leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research,
information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, it was reorganized in 1969 to increase its ability to
serve the public. Today, offices in more than 800 communities conduct programs in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia1. The target demographic of the American Diabetes Association is
for those who are affected with type 1 and 2 diabetes and to spread awareness for prevention.
People of all ages, genders, and races are affected by diabetes worldwide. The moving force
behind the work of the Association is a network of more than one million volunteers, a
membership of more than 441,000 people with diabetes, their families and caregivers, a
professional society of nearly 16,500 health care professionals, as well as more than 800 staff
members2.
Diabetes mellitus is a complex, chronic illness requiring continuous medical care with
multifactorial risk reduction strategies beyond glycemic control. Ongoing patient selfmanagement education and support are critical to preventing acute complications and reducing
the risk of long-term complications. Significant evidence exists that supports a range of
interventions to improve diabetes outcomes2.

The (ADAs) Standards of Care are intended to provide clinicians, patients, researchers,
payers, and other interested individuals with the components of diabetes care, general treatment
goals, and tools to evaluate the quality of care. The Standards of Care recommendations are not
intended to preclude clinical judgment and must be applied in the context of excellent clinical
care and with adjustments for individual preferences, comorbidities, and other patient factors2.
The vision of the ADA is to ensure the availability of funds necessary for the full
exploration of all the scientific possibilities2. Recommendations from the ADA include
screenings, diagnostic, and therapeutic actions which are favored and known to help patients
health with diabetes. These specific methods are known be cost effective, which is a great
beneficiary to the patient.
Many different companies aid the ADA and many different ways. Some of these
companies include: Colgate, Domino light, Medipeds, Nutrisystem, Walgreens, and Walmart.
Nutrisystem helps out the ADA by educating consumers on the importance of losing weight and
maintaining a healthy weight for people with type 2 diabetes. Along with this, Nutrisystem
educates professionals to ensure they have the proper resources for patients who are struggling
with maintaining a healthy weight. This year in 2014, Walmart funded the ADA with a 1 million
dollar grant to fund Living With Type 2 Diabetes program. This program offers help, hope, and
support to people who are newly diagnosed with diabetes2.
A major component from the ADA is the necessity to prevent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is
usually found in children who lack the production of insulin. In this case, insulin therapy and
other treatments are taught to them to live and maintain a healthy life. In the case of type 2
diabetes, the ADA puts a great emphasis on how to prevent this disease. Staying at a healthy

weight, eating well, and being active are key in the prevention of type 2. These steps will help
people stay healthier and continue to lower the risk of diabetes. Testing blood glucose levels is
highly recommended to those how may be at risk or have symptoms2. Solving the problem
before it becomes a major problem is extremely vital. Prevention goes a long way.
The most important part of the ADA is to ensure the quality of the consumers health. On
the website alone, taking action and being responsible as a person with diabetes is huge. Taking
the right medicine, checking blood sugar, doing the exercise, and eating right is stressed
frequently. The ADA recommends a variety of health professionals to help those with diabetes.
Some of these include: Primary Care Providers, Registered Dietitians, Endocrinologist,
Podiatrist, and Pharmacist2,3.

References

1. Medicine Net Website

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8396 Accessed 06/01/2014
2. American Diabetes Association Website http://www.diabetes.org/ Accessed
06/01/2014
3. WebMd website www.webmd.com Accessed 06/01/2014