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Knowledge of diabetes and basic skills in how to manage the disease are significant, if people with diabetes are to avoid the complications associated with their disease.
Patient education has been demonstrated to be effective in both preventing and delaying the acute and chronic complications of diabetes. However, in the Caribbean, diabetes education is not given special priority, and many people with diabetes are therefore not provided with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage their disease.
Objective
The aim of the project is to conduct basic and advanced training courses for diabetes educators in the Caribbean.
Approach
The North American Region of the International Diabetes Federation has conducted two complete courses for diabetes educator training in the Caribbean within a period of 4 years. The present project aims to conduct another of such programme, using 5 educators from the last programme as trainers.
The course consists of a 5 day programme followed by a project to be completed in the home country over the following year and ends with a 3 day advanced programme.
The first 5 day training session will be based on the IDF curriculum, incorporate some lectures to be expanded on by practical experience, small group work, role-play and demonstration.
After the 5 day programme, the 45 participants will each do one year project in their own communities that will impact either people with diabetes or health care professionals. All projects must be aimed at either increasing awareness of diabetes and its health risks or improving care of people with diabetes.
At the 3 day advanced programme at the end of the year, another 5 of the 45 participants will be selected and be educated to become trainers for the following diabetes education course.
The approach adopted in this project, where new trainers are selected among previous participants, will result in a multiplying effect, as an additional group of health care providers will gain in dept knowledge of diabetes and the ability to train another core group that will host future programmes on their own.
Expected impact
- 45 health care providers trained in basic and advanced diabetes education
- 5 selected diabetes educators will be trained to train other health care providers in diabetes education
Results at project completion October 2006
- 5 educators were selected and participated in the development of the training course
- 36 participants participated a five-day training in October 2005 and 32 of them attended the three day advanced training course in October 2006
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