NEWS
Libre nation (an education)
A new education programme is the first of its kind to address
diabetes technology education on a national basis.
T
he Flash Glucose Monitoring
Education Programme has
been created and presented
by members of the Diabetes
Technology Network (DTN-UK).
It is a series of free videos designed for
people with diabetes who use FreeStyle
Libre and for the HCPs who support them.
There are 13 modules available
including an introduction by Dr Emma
Wilmot (who has Type 1 diabetes)
who also presents other modules on
basal insulin (with both insulin pens
and pumps) and a joint presentation,
with Libre user Nick Rycroft, called The
Diabetes Rollercoaster. In addition,
Dr Peter Hammond presents, Getting
Started with FreeStyle Libre, while Dr
Jackie Elliott talks about bolus insulin
(with both insulin pens and pumps). Drs
Parth Narendran and Rob Andrews tackle
Exercise Strategies while dietician Nicola
Taylor's module is about carbohydrate
counting. A module on hypoglycaemia
and another on understanding arrows
are presented by Dr Pratik Choudhary. Dr
Fraser Gibb's module is called, Reviewing
my data: what does it all mean? Then
DSN talks about interpreting daily traces,
then the programme is finished by Dr
Iain Cranston's module on Glycaemic
Variability.
These modules are available to watch
on the DTN website for free. Abbott
Diabetes Care who provided ABCD
DTN-UK with a restricted educational
grant for the development of these
resources, but had no part in creating the
content or marketing the modules.
Mike Kendall, who writes about his
diabetes journey on his blog, Everyday
Ups and Downs, also has a module in the
series entitled My Experience of FreeStyle
Libre. He says, "It was an honour to be
asked to participate in this programme. I've
been using the Libre off and on for around
five years and I have found it a very helpful
part of my toolkit. However, for the module,
I wanted to start from the very beginning
- the things I wish I'd been told before I
started, as well as how I've found it to use
on a day-to-day basis. The other modules
do a brilliant job of describing the detail in
really practical ways, but my introduction
was intended to be for people who've
hardly even heard of Libre and want to see
if it might help them. "
Dr Pratik Choudhary, incoming chair of
the Diabetes Technology Network, says: "I
really do hope that people with diabetes
and healthcare professionals who support
patients using this technology find this a
useful resource. We are already working
on our next set of resources that will deal
with other new technologies that are
coming out."
www.abcd.care/dtn/education
everydayupsanddowns.co.uk
We are already working on our next
set of resources that will deal with
other new technologies that are
coming out - Dr Pratik Choudhary"