Calling for a ‘culture shift’ in diabetes education

Founder of the DSN Forum and guest speaker of United Through Diabetes, Amanda Epps has called for a change in attitudes towards diabetes education.

She says: “We desperately need a culture shift when it comes to diabetes education. We need better access and also a change in attitudes.

“In the UK we need to change our mindset and start looking at education as an essential part of the treatment plan. We need to improve access; it should be available 24/7, if someone wants to access it at midnight then they should be able to.

“With online technology improving dramatically and people working from home because of lockdown measures, there is a real opportunity to access people who wouldn’t normally be accessible.

There has never been a more important time for healthcare professionals and people with diabetes to work together to ensure everyone gets the education they need to live a healthier life.

“Historically, some people have had issues getting time off work to attend diabetes appointments and education. However, I recently spoke to a person who has had a HbA1c of 100 mmols for over 11 years and due to lockdown and working from home they were now able to access support and have had a significant improvement in their management of their condition to target HbA1c. 

“Unfortunately, with coronavirus, people with diabetes and a high HbA1c are at a much higher risk of dying from the virus should they contract it. There has never been a more important time for healthcare professionals and people with diabetes to work together to ensure everyone gets the education they need to live a healthier life.”