With its latest effort, the American Association of Diabetes Educators is hoping that the public teaches itself a thing or two.

This week, AADE teamed with WellDoc, a company that focuses on the app-based management of chronic diseases. The company has a platform called BlueStar, which is designed to assist in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. (The platform has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose. So yes, BlueStar is technically a form of medicine.)

That software, which is aimed at consumers rather than educators, is getting additional content from AADE, marking the association’s first foray into the consumer digital market. The group’s CEO, Charles MacFarlane, CAE, says the strategy proves a strong complement to, rather than a replacement for, the services of a diabetes educator.

“Digital health is a strong complement to in-person care and education provided by diabetes educators,” MacFarlane stated in a news release [PDF]. “It is beneficial for AADE to leverage meaningful partnerships with digital health leaders, such as WellDoc, to make every tool available to people living with type 2 diabetes.”

MacFarlane added that the move was an “important strategic decision” for the group. AADE says that beyond simply adding educational offerings to the BlueStar app, the organizations will work together on potential new tools to engage AADE’s members and bring more such tools to the market. The BlueStar app could help facilitate this by creating a line of communication among healthcare professionals and patients between visits.

“Working with AADE and its membership is both a natural and positive fit for WellDoc,” added WellDoc President and CEO Kevin McRaith. “The AADE curriculum is best-in-class and offering it in a consumer-friendly digital format will only further enhance the value of BlueStar.”

(App Store screenshot)