“You Can’t Eat That!” – the effect of words on diabetes, research by Jane K. Dickinson

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Jane K. Dickinson is a nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator, who has been living with type 1 diabetes for 40 years. In 1993 Jane gave her first talk on the importance of considering language when working with people who have diabetes, and she has been interested in the impact that words have on our diabetes experiences ever since. Jane oversees the (online) Master of Science in Diabetes Education and Management Program at Teachers College Columbia University (www.tc.edu/diabetes) and incorporates discussions on using patient-centered and strengths-based language into each of the courses she teaches. Jane also provides diabetes education to patients, families, and health care professionals in northwest Colorado.

In March Jane began her research on the effect of words on diabetes. In this live interview Jane will share the results of the focus groups she conducted, including the virtual focus group that was held here on tudiabetes. Jane’s own experience with words and diabetes, as well as her research  findings, have prepared her to work with diabetes professionals and patients alike. Jane’s goal is to help people adopt more empowering words when speaking or writing about diabetes and those who live with it.