Diabetes Education Study Group

 
This report could not start without expressing my gratitude to all members of the Executive Committee (Dr. Alessandra Baldelli, Dr. Andrew Brooks, Dr. Rudolf Chlup, Ms. Sari Härmä-Rodriguez, Dr. Ilana Harman-Boehm, Ms. Aline Lasserre-Moutet, , Dr. Helen Mosnier-Pudar, Ms. Maria-Despina Varakla); to the DESG Secretariat and to all DESG members for their commitment with the Diabetes Education Study Group Project.

I would like to give special thanks to the former presidents, Prof. Jean-Philippe Assal, Prof. John Day and Prof. Aldo Maldonato, from whom I have been continuously receiving so much encouragement and support.

Last but not least, I also would like to show my appreciation to Servier for their generous, continued and unconditional support of the DESG. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Jean-Philippe Seta, Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Laurence Alliot, Director of the Medical Affairs Department, Mr. Sylvain Gaudron, Director of International Scientific Communication and Mr. Jean-François Mocho, International Project Leader.

This year’s DESG’s activities included the production of educational material – three Newsletters and two Teaching Letters –, the reformulation of the website and the update of its contents and the continued support for research in Therapeutic Patient Education. As in previous years, the DESG GC Workshop took place at the beginning of the year, this time in Winchester, UK.

WORKSHOP OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The 2007 Workshop of the General Committee Members was held in a British lovely town, Winchester, and was organized by the Vice-President of the DESG, Dr. Andrew Brooks. From the 24^th to the 28^th January, we had the opportunity to approach several aspects of the relation between the HCP and the patient.

The meeting was attended by a total of 54 members, from 28 countries within and beyond Europe: Austria, Azerbaijan Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Germany Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

This year there was no single theme to the Workshop. Instead we tried to provide sessions which would introduce members to education methods they may not be using; to encourage self-reflection about our own skills and attitudes; and consider what people with diabetes may want from their health care professionals (HCPs).

All the presentations and photos are available for download on the website of the DESG.

THE DESG NEWSLETTER

During this year we have launched 2 issues and another one will be published until the end of this year.

This Newsletter consists of a note from the President, a summary of abstracts concerning TPE and News from TPE initiatives (symposia, workshops, meetings, etc), and because this Newsletter is from the DESG to the DESG, we have counted on the participation of several people from all over the world who tried to share their experiences in their homeland. Still there are many meetings being developed by/with DESG members, from which we don’t get any news making impossible their divulgation.

This Newsletter is sent, by e-mail, to all DESG Members (to about 600 e-mail contacts, from which we receive around 400 confirmation receipts). The correction and update of the membership is one of the continuous tasks that require a considerable effort and for which we still need the help of everyone.

DESG WEBSITE

The DESG Website has now a new face. The need for renewal, the update of the skeleton of the website and the evolution of the technology itself, demanded for the construction of a new one. The structure is similar but now it is easier to update its contents. We are still receiving a numberless information requests from the DESG e-mail address. These information requests  come from all over Europe but also from India, Colombia, Malaysia to name just a few and they include questions about how to access the DESG Materials, how to cooperate directly with the DESG, how to be a member and so on.

Obviously, most of the site is still freely accessible and offers a great deal of information, publications, educational tools and other material produced by the DESG. Working in conjunction with Servier, we have collected a group of Teaching Letters and Patient Education Basics translated into other languages, apart from English, which are also available on the website.  We now have plenty of educational material in several languages – such as Chinese, Greek, Egyptian, Russian to name a few -  which are being put on-line

We are also collecting the 5 Minute Survival kits, translated into languages other than English. We already have their Greek, Lithuanian and Portuguese versions and they will soon be available on the DESG Website. The collaboration of everyone for the collection of all this material is fundamental.

Along with this educational material, the website has now Prof. Jean-Philippe Assal’s film “Gondolas and Gondoliers” and the WHO Working Group Report called “Citizen’s Guide to Chronic Disease Care”. This Report has the conclusions of the Meeting “Innovative Long-Term Follow-Up Strategies for Patients with Chronic Diseases”,  held last year in Paris, supported by Les Treilles Foundation and by the Foundation for Research and Training in Patient Education. The production of the “Citizen’s Guide to Chronic Disease Care” was sponsored by the DESG.  

NEW TEACHING LETTERS

Two Teaching Letters have been produced and published during this year:

N.º 36 – “Visualized Discussion: What it is and how it can be used in diabetes education”

N.º 37 – “The use of Oral Hypoglycaemic Agents”, which is already on its final review process

We will launch the Teaching Letter n.º 38 until the end of this year

All the Teaching Letters, as well as all the other DESG Materials are available and free to download from the DESG Website – www.desg.org – in Acrobat format. Much of this material is now also translated into other languages, apart from English and are becoming available for download on the website.  All the new Teaching Letters are sent by e-mail to all DESG Members.

Presently, nine old Teaching Letters are being reviewed and updated in a process launched at the Winchester GC Workshop and involving 45 members of the DESG. These updated Teaching Letters will be released as soon as they are ready.

UNite for Diabetes INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN

The DESG actively supported the International Campaign for a UN Resolution on Diabetes publicising it through the DESG Newsletter, and calling for the mobilization for the active participation of all DESG Members. As a result, on December 20^th the United Nations General Assembly approved a Resolution on Diabetes. The DESG will also be present at the commemoration of the first UN World Diabetes Day, on the November 14^th in New York

EU PORTUGUESE PRESIDENCY CONFERENCE “HEALTH STRATEGIES IN EUROPE” – 12th/13th July 2007, Lisbon

The EU Portuguese Presidency of the 2^nd half of 2007, has organized in July one Conference entitled “Health Strategies in Europe”. Along with plenary sessions, there were parallel sessions focused on tuberculosis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, cancer, oral health and gender-sensitive strategies. The Diabetes parallel session was carried out by an Organizing Committee constituted by members representing the IDF, FEND and DESG. It was attended by 28 participants coming from 15 (European and International) institutions to discuss the need for patient centeredness, for Therapeutic Patient Education on Chronic Disease and for the involvement of all stakeholders, namely EU Member States, European Commission and European Parliament. The conclusions of the Diabetes Parallel Session will be integrated on the final Health Strategies document written by the Portuguese Presidency in December 2007.

The Report of the Diabetes Parallel Session can be downloaded from the DESG Website.

REGARDING THE EASD

I.                    DESG Symposium

II.                  The DESG booth on the 43^rd EASD Meeting

The DESG has now established itself as a regular participant in the Association’s Hall of the EASD Meetings. As in previous year, the DESG has its own booth, where educational material is distributed and contacts are made with people asking for information and showing interest in collaborating with the DESG.

NEW MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dr. Rudolf Chlup’s and Dr Ilana Harman-Boehm’s terms will expire this year and the names of Dr. Conxa Castell (from Spain) and Dr. Anna Majchrzak (from Poland) are proposed for their place.

With the retirement of Dr. Ilana Harman-Boehm, the Executive Committee will be restructured.

Ms. Aline Lasserre-Moutet is proposed as Director of Educational Strategies.

UPDATED LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE

From the updated General Members’ List of more than 800 members from over 100 different countries, only about 600 e-mail addresses have been updated.

Ever since the DESG Website has re-started its activity, we have received 35 requests applying for DESG membership. Some of the 19 requests received so far this year came from Nigeria, Malaysia, Colombia, India and Peru which proves that DESG has gone beyond the European limits.

The General Committee has now 57 members (from 32 countries). 26 will end their mandate this year and, besides the approval of 18 new mandates in this year’s GC meeting, the board will continue to work towards having representatives from each European country. There are still 14 European countries without any representative.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

The DESG sponsored some members’ participation at Therapeutic Patient Education Meetings held during this year. 

I.                    Fondation Recherche et Formation pour l’Education des Patients

Entitled “Accompagner autrement nos patients”, this Workshop organized by Prof. Jean-Philippe Assal was held in the Swiss village, Zinal, from the 20^th to 25^th January.

II.                  Fundación Rossend Carrasco I Formiguera

On the 23^rd February, 168 people participated in a celebrating event “Cent Cursos a la Fundació”, coordinated by Prof. Daniel Figuerola, to mark the first 100 Therapeutic Patient Education Workshops organized by the Foundation. The event was attended by the Chairman of the DESG and included a review of the anthropologic, psychological and pedagogic aspects of the communication between health care providers and patients.

III.                Cadiz 2007

The 1^st International Meeting of Diabetes Educators was held in Cadiz, from the 24^th to 26^th May 2007. The Chairman participated in a Round Table on “Therapeutic Education in Diabetes through Europe: New perspectives”.

IV.               Sesimbra 2007

Sesimbra was once again the venue of the Portuguese Educational Seminar. From 19^th to 22^nd April, “A Consulta na Doença Crónica”, gave to 67 Health Care Providers, from all over Portugal, the opportunity to explore the different phases of the consultation and their importance as moments of Therapeutic Patient Education.

V.                 Service d’Enseignement Thérapeutique pour Maladies Chroniques

Organized by Prof. Alain Golay and his team, the Seminar “Motiver à changer de comportement: comment faire en pratique clinique” was held  in Zinal from the 16^th to 19^th June.

DESG AWARDS

To encourage research in the field of Therapeutic Patient Education, the DESG attributes two awards of EUR 600,00 each, to the best abstracts from those selected for the 43^rd EASD Annual Meeting and one award of EUR 600,00 to the best abstract accepted at the 12^th FEND Annual Conference. The evaluation of these abstracts was carried out by a DESG committee.

As in previous years, the chosen papers are published on the DESG Website.

SPONSORSHIP OF THE DESG

The generous support of Servier has been confirmed for the next year and continues to be of the utmost importance to this Study Group. In addition to the previously mentioned Servier board I would like to thank Dr. Bertrand Renaud, who has been an outstanding partner for the DESG over the last year.

FUTURE ACTIVITIES

• The 2008 GC Workshop will take place in Port de la Selva – Spain, from 16^th to 19^th January and will be organized by Prof. Daniel Figuerola. The theme will be “Overcoming Transcultural Barriers in Patient Education”.
• We will maintain the publication the Newsletter.
• New Teaching Letters will be published and old Teaching Letters will be updated.
• It is our goal to carry out a regular updating of the data present in the DESG Website as well as the contacts of our members.
• We will maintain our grants and awards to promote research and training in Therapeutic Patient Education.
• The implementation of TPE Symposia will continue to be one of the most important objectives of the DESG, including at the EASD Meetings.
• The publication of Teaching Letters in a scientific regular magazine is being negotiated.