DESMOND is a UK NHS

National Health Service

The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...

 training course for people with type 2 diabetes that helps people to identify their own health risks and to set their own goals.

Background

DESMOND is the first national education programme created for people with Type 2 diabetes. DESMOND meets the criteria NICE

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is a special health authority of the English National Health Service , serving both English NHS and the Welsh NHS...

identified as being the characteristics of a quality, evidence-based structured education programme.

A NHS training course is available for type 1 diabetics called DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating).

Format

Each programme is run in a group setting, consisting of not more than 10 people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (normally within the last 12 months), accompanied, if they so choose, by a partner, family member, or friend. The programme may be run as a one day, or two part (2 x half-day) course.

The DESMOND programme is facilitated by two health care professionals who have been formally trained.

Content

Topics covered in the DESMOND curriculum:

1. The patient story
2. What diabetes is
3. Main ways to manage diabetes
4. Consequences of diabetes and personal risk from having diabetes
5. Monitoring your diabetes
6. Ways to take action to improve the control of your diabetes
7. Food choices for diabetics
8. Physical activity and diabetes
9. Stress and emotions and diabetes
10. The purpose and content of annual diabetic review and screening in diabetics

External links

• DESMOND NHS project website
• Diabetes UK charity website