MAKING THE CONNECTION
Closing the Delicate Loop Between Professional
and Patient Education
Professional education for medical providers (including doctors,
nurses, CDE's, physician assistants, pharmacists, etc.) has been
around for ages and has not changed much over the years. In a
nutshell, experts in the field of diabetes give formal lectures at
medical meetings on the latest results of important clinical trials on
a new drug or device. The overall purpose is to educate the care-
Product Theater - Incretin givers who are in the trenches taking care of people with diabetes.
Medical professional education is
important but, alarmingly, has not translated
into a meaningful improvement in
diabetes care. This is because the people
living with diabetes (patients) have not
been included in the educational process.
There is a serious
lack of two-way
communication
between providers
and patients, and
a misunderstanding
by the majority of
providers about
what it is like to live with diabetes on a
day-to-day basis.
One of the reasons I founded TCOYD
was because I was frustrated with the
traditional medical education model and
wanted to focus on the people who are
living with diabetes. Before TCOYD,
I would give lecture after lecture at
medical meetings and I would hear the
same comment time and time again, "My
patients are all non-compliant; they refuse
to do what I ask them to do." Caregivers
just could not understand why their
patients didn't lose weight, prick their
fingers 4 or more times a day, take
multiple pills and/or insulin several
times a day, eat perfectly healthy
foods in neat little portions at the
same time each day and exercise
30 minutes a day 5 days a week at
the same times and intensity. Gosh...
those SOB non-compliant patients!
They obviously do not care about
their own health! This is not an
uncommon attitude and it seriously
limits the success that a person with
diabetes can achieve.
TCOYD has taken on the challenge
of not only educating patients and
professionals about cutting edge
advancements in diabetes management,
but has initiated a very
unique program
to close the
delicate loop
between the
caregiver and
the person living
with diabetes. I
say delicate
because you
cannot just throw
people with diabetes in a room
with doctors and lock the door. Our 'Making The Connection' program
puts professionals and patients in
the same learning environment in
an effort to strengthen the "doctorpatient"
relationship, dispel myths
that patients have about the medical
profession and leave the caregivers
with a much greater understanding
and appreciation for what it is like to
live and deal with diabetes, emotionally
and physically, on a daily basis.
We feel quite strongly that by
addressing this important missing
piece of the clinical care puzzle,
diabetes care will improve dramatically.
Diabetes is a 24/7 chronic
condition that must involve both
active participation and self-management
by the patient and also a knowledgeable
and empathetic caregiver.
TCOYD is now in its 3rd year of
educating professionals about taking
care of people with diabetes, as well
as gaining a much
stronger understanding
of the
barriers, stresses
and difficulties
of living with a
complicated and
demanding
chronic disease.
The feedback from both patients
and caregivers has been affirming;
each expresses a much greater understanding
for the other's roles and
responsibilities, enabling a path of
trust, communication, appreciation
and better long-term diabetes care.
It has been a tremendous learning
experience for all and we are looking
forward to the second half of 2008,
as well as 2009 and beyond. |
