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DESMOND goes to Australia
DESMOND launched its DESMOND Newly Diagnosed & Foundation Programme in Western Australia in Perth in June 2011. This is a really exciting partnership between NHS DESMOND in the United Kingdom and Diabetes Western Australia (WA). Diabetes WA is an organisation similar to Diabetes UK in that it offers support to people living with diabetes and approached DESMOND in late 2010 for an opportunity to undertake a year’s pilot of the DESMOND Newly Diagnosed & Foundation within their local healthcare setting. Twelve diabetes Educators were trained in June 2011 and they have an opportunity to deliver to 500 patients throughout 2011/2012.
Western Australia is commonly abbreviated as WA and is a state of Australia occupying the entire Western third of the Australian continent. It is Australia’s largest state and the second largest sub-national entity in the world. It has 2.3 million inhabitants; 85% of whom live in the South West corner of the state.
Western Australia’s economy mainly relies on mining, agricultural and tourism and WA supplies 36% of Australia’s overseas exports and is the third largest iron ore producer in the world.
Diabetes WA is based around the suburb of Subiaco in Perth and offers a service to the whole of WA; from Kimberley in the North right down to the great southern region on the south coast.
In WA, people with diabetes are usually registered on the NDSS (National Diabetes Service System) and there are 98,108 people registered on this. This provides them with an opportunity for access to free health care checks and medication. 87,000 people have type II diabetes and each day, 275 Australians develop diabetes.
As an organisation, Diabetes WA has traditionally provided a range of options for people with type II diabetes from prevention with ‘My Healthy Balance’ workplace activities and aboriginal health initiatives. They also offer Cook Smart and Eat Smart initiatives and have their own 6 week programme on living with type II diabetes. However, they felt that the DESMOND programme, offering 6 hours of education over one day, would fulfill a need across their population group.
The training was undertaken by Sue Cradock (one of the foundation members of the DESMOND collaborative and an experienced Diabetes Nurse Consultant) and Cheryl Taylor (an experienced Dietitian and also one of the National Trainers for DESMOND).
Prior to arrival, some of the resources were altered including the 100 kilocalorie game (amended to kilojoules). Various other resources were also altered in line with local foods in Australia.
In Australia, diabetes education is a speciality field of healthcare practice and candidates applying for recognition by the Australian Diabetes Educator Association as credentialed Diabetes Educators must provide evidence of having completed a minimum of 1800 hours clinical practice in diabetes education over a maximum period of 4 years prior to applying.
The Educators trained as part of Diabetes WA were credentialed Diabetes Educators and the majority were employed directly through Diabetes WA. The Educators were trained over a 2-day period, using the Core and the Newly Diagnosed modular training as has been developed in the UK. The Trainers then delivered a programme to a group of patients at the offices in Subiaco in WA and this was extremely well received by the patients. Some of the Educators also observed the sessions. The Educators then had an opportunity on the following day of the Australian trip, to deliver a DESMOND Newly Diagnosed course to a group of patients, being observed by both Sue and Cheryl.
All of the Educators delivered with aplomb.
The DESMOND Australian experience is the start of a journey between DESMOND UK and Diabetes WA in Australia.
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