We know that time with your patients is precious. But taking just 30 seconds to talk to someone about diabetes education can change their life. Over 60 per cent of people don’t fully understand their diabetes, however we know that 88 per cent of people feel more confident managing their diabetes as a result of attending a diabetes education course.
30 seconds can change a life
Top tips to improve attendance at structured education
We have gathered these top tips from areas across the UK that are achieving great attendance at structured education and can help you frame discussions with your patients to increase attendance:
- Be positive.
- Get to know the course (or ensure your support staff do) so that whoever discusses the course with patients can answer questions and provide reassurance.
- Explain to your patients that diabetes education will help give them the confidence to manage their diabetes day-to-day.
- Consider using motivational interviewing techniques to help patients see the value of attending a course.
- Avoid the term ‘structured education’ as some patients find it off-putting. Try words like ‘course’, ‘knowledge’ or ‘training’.
Hear from others in the field
In the videos below, we have eight presentations from the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2016, from people working in the field of diabetes education. The videos explore four key challenges systems face in improving the quality and reach of diabetes education:
- Convincing decision makers to pay for diabetes education.
- Extending the reach and getting people to attend.
- Providing alternative options for people who are unable to attend.
- Reaching rural areas and large diverse populations.
