Asian American Diabetes Initiative

The Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) was established at the Joslin Diabetes Center in 2000 in response to the rising rate of diabetes among Asian Americans. The program seeks to address the quality of life and health outcomes of Asian Americans living with diabetes through culturally relevant research, advocacy of culturally relevant treatments, education and outreach. The Asian Clinic provides one-on-one appointments with a physician and a dietitian or diabetes educator who are culturally sensitive to the Asian American population. Other diabetes care is also offered by the clinic's team of specialists, including endocrinologists, optometrists, and care coordinators. AADI is also staffed by interns and fellows as well as volunteers.

Joslin's Asian American Diabetes Initiative has a mission to enhance the quality of life and health outcomes for Asian Americans living with diabetes through research, education, outreach and culturally appropriate treatments.

Joslin's Asian Clinic provides comprehensive and culturally appropriate diabetes care for Asian Americans.

AADI established one of the first Asian Clinics in a tertiary setting, specializing in caring for the Asian American community. The clinic serves the Boston area through linguistically appropriate (serving Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Hindi speakers) and culturally relevant approaches. The AADI also has a free online community portal, the Joslin Professional Education Consortium (JPECTM) for knowledge sharing, analysis tools, and collaboration among healthcare professionals to help improve office systems, patient care and patient outcomes.