Diabetes - Professional

Diabetes is a continuous professional development course that has been designed for all health care professionals including, doctors and nurses to help develop the knowledge and skills to manage diabetes mellitus effectively. This course helps the candidate develop the knowledge and confidence to deliver an effective management plan based on uptodate resources and support from multi-professional specialists from the diabetic patient group in general practice. Emphasis will be placed on developing a structured system of care, which supports patients in successfully managing their diabetes and lifestyle. This course will be delivered by experts in diabetic care through online distance learning and workshops. We believe our graduates are competent in delivering a comprehensive management plan for their diabetic patients and improve the overall care of this patient group.

With the introduction of the Diabetes Cycle of Care Contract, the burden of chronic disease management is now recognised and remunerated in General Practice. This course has the main focus of upskilling health care practitioner already working in primary care and those that wish to transition to this area. Confidence in diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes or those at risk of diabetes improves diabetic patient care.

This course consists of ten online learning units supported by two online clinical workshop days. Each unit lasts 1-2 weeks and is tutored by a designated specialist. Through online learning with weekly units and two online clinical workshop days the following key areas are covered:

Diagnosis of diabetes
Diabetes control & monitoring; self-management education
Structured diabetes care
Lifestyle modification
Therapeutics of diabetes—glucose-lowering agents
Therapeutics of diabetes—insulin
Acute complications of diabetes; driving and travel for patients with diabetes
Preventing cardiovascular disease in diabetes
Preventing diabetic eye, kidney and foot disease
Diabetes and pregnancy.
The workshops are specialist-led and a key component of each workshop are case based discussions. The workshops include:

Lifestyle and diabetes
Obesity
The diabetic foot
Therapeutics in diabetes, monitoring devices, blood pressure management in diabetes, diabetic emergencies, insulin and pumps
Behaviour change in chronic diseases
Diabetes cycle of care, practice IT system support

3 months part-time.

3 months part-time, September–December

Next start date September 2024

Closing Date August 16, 2024

Career Opportunities
We believe our graduates are competent in delivering a comprehensive management plan for their diabetic patients and improve the overall care of this patient group.

The focus of the course has led to significant advances in practice in how participants deliver their care to their diabetic patient group in primary care. Such advances include the development of a diabetic register and a recall system, use of in-practice diabetic clinics and the use of audit to monitor and improve care. Support from local specialists in diabetes care in this course also establishes a good link between the general practitioner, the practice nurse and secondary care. This course is fully accredited for CPD and also includes the CPD requirement for an audit.