Taking a STANCE on Patient Education

AIM:

To provide foot health education and healthier lifestyle support to all patients with diabetes who are referred to podiatry.

The project was developed in partnership with patients and healthcare professionals: “My Healthy Feet” concentrates on diabetic foot health and foot pathology prevention. “Healthy Me” enables the patient to have the right knowledge and support to control their diabetes.

CONTEXT:

• No structured delivery of foot health education or healthier lifestyle messages;

• Informal education delivered at clinician’s discretion;

• Increasing numbers of patients with diabetes challenging NHS constraints;

• Increasing complex caseload of patients with diabetes who are at risk of developing foot ulceration; and,

• Strategic Drivers: NICE (NG19) 2015, All Wales Diabetes Delivery Plan.

GOALS:

• Provide structured education to people with diabetes; and,

• Provide structured access to support networks that enable healthier lifestyle choices.

TARGETS:

• Increase patient knowledge and engagement in foot health;

• Increase confidence to self-care; and,

• Reduce dependency on podiatry for basic foot care.

DEVELOPMENT:

• STANCE education for “My Healthy Feet”;

• Support directory of local services and training for staff to support “Healthy Me”;

• Collaboration with Diabetes UK and Pocket Medic – bespoke diabetes education;

• Delivery of one-hour diabetes education 2 weeks prior to 1-to-1 consultation;

• Consultation to identify “My Healthy Feet” and/or “Healthy Me” concerns; and,

• Provision of additional support/empowerment to self-care and access to help when needed.

PLANNING:

• Patient Focus Group: Co-development of group education session. What would patients like to know?

• Swim Lane Method: To identify risk and inefficiencies for the care of patients with diabetes.

• Plan, Do, Study, Act: To review methods, procedures, progress and outcomes.

• Patient Reported Outcome Measures: Are we meeting the patient’s needs and expectations?

RESULTS:

Patient Reported Score Before & After Diabetes Education:

Part of cohort Bevan Exemplar Projects 2016-17