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Table 1 Therapeutic Education in Diabetes [8]

From: Impact of a structured multicomponent educational intervention program on metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes

Grounds

• The right to education of the diabetic patient about their illness and the ways of controlling their situation

• Patient co-responsibility within disease management /Patient empowerment

• Importance of enabling the diabetic and their family to daily related disease decision-making, making them as independent as possible from health services and professionals, who are expected to progressively, play a consultant role.

• NHS facilities rational use, in order to make the joint efforts of health professionals profitable.

Educational process and Evaluation

Educational process is understood as the methods, or means by which resources are used to achieve educational objectives, involving several components which must be documented, in order to be subject to evaluation:

• individual evaluation, taking into account the unique characteristics that allow the individualization of educational needs

• establishment of short, medium and long-term objectives;

• development of an education plan and its implementation;

• evaluation and follow-up

Evaluation of the educational process is fundamental and must be made in relation to the knowledge and abilities acquired by patients, to health professionals as trainees, and to the strategies, objectives and outcomes applied

Professionals involved

Doctors, nurses, psychologists, dietitians/nutritionists, pharmacists and other technicians.

Expected competencies of the professionals

• adapt professional behaviour to the patients and their illness, either individually or in groups

• adapt professional role to that of the other care teams with whom they cooperate

• communicate empathically with patients

• recognize objective and subjective needs of patients

• take into account the patients’ emotional state, previous experiences and representations

• educate the diabetic in the management of treatment, crises, interfering factors and in the adequate use of available health, social and economic resources

• to support the diabetic in their learning and in the adaptation of their lifestyle

• to select patient education tools, integrating them into the learning process

• take into account the educational, psychological and social dimensions of continuing education

• to evaluate therapeutic effects of education in clinical, biological, psychological, educational, social and economic dimensions, making adjustments whenever necessary

• to periodically evaluate and improve professional’s performance in this area

Patients’ expected competencies

• select self-care objectives

• modify diet/ food habits

• take the medication prescribed appropriately

• adjust physical activity

The programmes

These programs must comply with process and results quality criteria and should be designed according to the different types of health professionals involved in the Educational process.