July 24, 2012 -What did you think about the study in the UK that showed no difference after 3 years in patient outcomes in ususal care vs. those who received diabetes education. Was it the type of education offered?I wonder if it is linked to lack of adequate follow-up in the diabetes education group. We all know that one bout of diabetes education probably is not going to cause lasting behavior change for many of our patients. So what are you doing to help support patients?? Linking them to community based support like a walking club, a weight loss program or a program like the Stanford Chronic Disease Self Management workshop. Maybe support is coming through case managers in the clinic setting, shared medical visits or some type of technology based program. I urge you to take a look at how your patients receive ongoing support and explore ways to enhance their support.
Need educational tools for your patients....check out the National Diabetes Education Program web site at http://ndep.nih.gov/
They have handouts for different age groups, diabetes and prediabetes and also offer a variety of tools in different languages.
In addition, there is a wealth of information for providers!! Check it out and let us know what you like best!!