6
NEWS
SANOFI
CARES
French pharmaceutical company
(and insulin provider) Sanofi is to
fund key diabetes training to care
home staff to help improve health
outcomes.
It is thought 450,000 people
currently reside in care homes,
with approximately a quarter of
those with diabetes. People with
diabetes in care homes can be at a
higher risk of hospitalisation and
develop other health concerns
if their diabetes is not managed
appropriately.
Sanofi has partnered with
award-winning healthcare
professional training organisation
Eden, based at the Leicester
Diabetes Centre, to provide a
virtual education programme
called Sanofi Cares. The aim
is to educate and improve the
knowledge and confidence of care
home staff to effectively manage
people with diabetes. It will be
delivered through E-Learning
with additional mentoring support
and is available for staff in care
and community homes, including
registered nurses and nonregistered
practitioners, such as
HCAs and Social Care staff.
It is hoped that by providing
a competency-based consistent
education programme across
a platform for care home staff
and community care teams
across the UK, Sanofi can help
standardise knowledge and care
across the country for people
living with diabetes in care homes.
The blended training includes
an introduction to diabetes,
care planning and improving
the quality of life and wellbeing
among those with the condition.
Sessions will focus on key subjects
such as foot care, complications,
blood glucose monitoring, and
care planning.
SCRAP BMI?
With calls for the Body Mass Index
(BMI) to be scrapped, one woman
shares her experience of being
refused treatment for an eating
disorder because her BMI wasn't
considered to be low enough.
Victoria Spence (pictured) tells the
BBC how she had to seek private
treatment to get on the road to
recovery after a doctor told her she
had more weight to lose before being
eligible for treatment.
To read the BBC article
CLICK HERE.
WEIGHTY MATTERS
A report by the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps
(ORCHA) with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) will help dietitians
and health and care professionals wanting safe and effective health
apps to support people in managing their weight. The report outlines
the risks and opportunities offered by digital health and includes the
top 10 recommended weight management apps.
While millions of 'diet' apps are available, the market is not
regulated. Out of 379 diet and weight management apps reviewed by
ORCHA, the average score is 56%; however, a score of at least 65% is
needed to indicate the app has met sufficient relevant health, security
and usability standards. Many of the apps reviewed and available to
download in app stores have the potential to harm users.
The top-flight apps are achieving impressive ORCHA scores - My
Diabetes, My Way, Second Nature and My Desmond, in the top three
positions, are recommended as achieving high scores across safety,
security and useability.
Use of apps throughout the healthcare sector has increased
dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. ORCHA provides app
libraries to the NHS in 50% of regions and saw a 180% growth in visits
to its libraries between January and May 2020 across all its services.
Since the start of lockdown there has been a 25% rise in daily health
app downloads by consumers, increasing from 4 to 5 million every day.
Dedicated NHS Diabetes Advice helpline
0345 123 2399