National survey reveals key barriers and opportunities in school-based diabetes care

A new national survey of over 580 school nurses and diabetes healthcare providers has revealed critical barriers to implementing the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) in schools. While the DMMP is widely recognized as a comprehensive tool, respondents identified key usability issues—including integration into clinical workflows and gaps in guidance for modern diabetes technologies like continuous glucose monitors and automated insulin delivery systems. These findings informed major revisions to the DMMP to better support school nurses and improve care for children with diabetes nationwide.

Led by the ADA’s Safe at School® Working Group, the study highlights the urgent need to modernize school-based diabetes protocols to reflect today’s clinical realities. With school nurses serving as frontline coordinators of diabetes care, the updated DMMP aims to streamline communication between families, healthcare teams, and school staff and provide greater customization to accommodate new devices—ultimately enhancing safety, equity, and health outcomes for students managing diabetes during the school day and beyond. The updated DMMP is now posted on the ADA Safe at School® website, which is freely available to school nurses (https://diabetes.org/advocacy/safe-at-school-state-laws/diabetes-medical-management-plan).