Learning about diabetes

Educating people about diabetes when they first find out they have the disease is important.

It helps them to manage and take control of their condition, as well as manage any other health problems associated with diabetes, and ultimately achieve a good quality of life. That education is ongoing and forms part of a patient's regular assessment of need.

The Wakefield District Diabetes Network run a structured diabetes education programme called DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed). There are two modules; the Newly diagnosed module for people who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes for less than twelve months and the Foundation module for people who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes for longer than twelve months.

The Wakefield District Diabetes Network also run a structured diabetes education programme for people with Type 1 diabetes called DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating).

There is an alternative education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes called Coversation Maps which is currently being piloted in Wakefield.