Is the marketing of diabetes health education courses (DHEC) really getting to the right people? Well, having worked in the sector that provides these programmes, I have to say that the answer is no. Were you aware that such courses should be offered to all newly diagnosed patients? Even those individuals who have lived with the condition for many years and have not yet attended a course should be given the opportunity to do so.
Unfortunately studies have shown that back in 2007, 55% of the primary care trusts in the UK reported that only 10% or fewer of their diabetic patients had attended a DHEC. I don’t think it has got any better and would like to find out why.
From the information I have gathered to date, the marketing of such courses is a big problem for those providing the programmes. There seems to be confusion amongst commissioners and healthcare professionals on which course they should offer their patients.
In addition to this, there is the issue of the “quality” of such courses, I have been informed by some of you that their tutors were very poor (in the interest of fairness I must also state that an equal number have said that their tutors were great). My point here is you don’t want to be the one attending a course with a poor tutor.
There is also the question of timings: do the courses have to be put on a weekday and run for five days solid? There are many people who just cannot get the time off work to attend.
So what can be done about it? Well, I have decided to start a research project (which is part of my PhD) to establish:
a. Why only some people are selected (or elect) to attend a DHEC.
b. How many different types of DHEC programmes are being offered.
c. Are they any good.
d. Do they work.
I will be working with Diabetes UK to try and get a better insight into the problem. Hopefully it will give me some new insights that I can use to lobby the health authorities: creating a process that is better and fairer than the one being provided today.
If you are an individual living with diabetes please spare 15 minutes of your time to fill in my online questionnaire. Equally if you are not, but know someone who is please forward this article on to them.
Many thanks in advance for your support.
Credits:
The lead picture is an adaption of the work by ddpavumba:
Dna @ www.freedigitalphotos.net/
Alan Shaw
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