One in four people with diabetes don’t receive sufficient information on diagnosis, new research has revealed.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has released research showing that people living with diabetes don’t have sufficient access to education and information about their condition to support their care.
To read more on this subject:
- Increasing rate of type 2 diabetes among under-40s is 'troubling' says expert.
- Updated NICE guidelines on type 2 diabetes – what’s new?
- Need for improvements to children’s diets after pandemic
Over 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 and evidence suggests that it can be prevented with intentional weight loss. Providing an early diagnosis and appropriate care advice can help people to control or avoid any complications that may arise.
However, the IDF reported that 42% of people with diabetes received appointments shorter than 15 minutes, which is not enough time to thoroughly discuss treatment and offer appropriate advice on subjects such as diet and exercise.
‘When diabetes is not well managed, the risk of serious health complications increases. These include heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and lower-limb amputation,’ said President of the IDF, Professor Andrew Boulton.
The report has shown a funding gap for diabetes education for healthcare professionals. Although many doctors and nurses are trying to support people and improve their diabetes knowledge, 35% have to self-fund their training.
Professor Boulton said: ‘It is important to facilitate education and training opportunities for health professionals and make them more accessible, whether through government investment or other form of funding.’
‘IDF is committed to facilitating learning opportunities for all people involved in diabetes care and offers free online courses for health professionals through the IDF School of Diabetes.’