DESMOND (diabetes)

DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) is a UK NHS training course for people with type 2 diabetes that helps people to identify their own health risks and to set their own goals.

Background
DESMOND is the first national education programme created for people with Type 2 diabetes. DESMOND meets the criteria NICE identified as being the characteristics of a quality, evidence-based structured education programme.

A NHS training course is available for type 1 diabetics called DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating).

Format
Each programme is run in a group setting, consisting of not more than 10 people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (normally within the last 12 months), accompanied, if they so choose, by a partner, family member, or friend. The programme may be run as a one-day, or two part (2 x half-day) course.

The DESMOND programme is facilitated by two health care professionals who have been formally trained.

Content
Topics covered in the DESMOND curriculum:
 * The patient story
 * What diabetes is
 * Main ways to manage diabetes
 * Consequences of diabetes and personal risk from having diabetes
 * Monitoring your diabetes
 * Ways to take action to improve the control of your diabetes
 * Food choices for diabetics
 * Physical activity and diabetes
 * Stress and emotions and diabetes
 * The purpose and content of annual diabetic review and screening in diabetics