There are lots of different education courses available for people with diabetes that vary in length and content. It is important that the course that you attend meets the criteria that are set by NICE. The criteria are that the course should
- Have a patient centred philosophy
- Have a structured, written curriculum
- Have trained educators
- Be quality assured
- Be audited
There is currently no formal accreditation scheme in the UK for national or local patient education programmes but there are now tools available for your diabetes team to assess whether their courses are meeting these criteria.
When choosing a course you should ask the following questions.
- Is the programme relevant to my type of diabetes.
- Can I commit enough time to complete the programme in full.
- Is the programme run by qualified healthcare professionals.
- Do I meet the requirements set out by the programme.
- Am I happy to take a more involved and proactive role in my diabetes care.