[Diabetes education]

Abstract

Diabetes is a chronic disease requiring a compelling and permanent treatment which has repercussions on the patient's daily activities, tempo of life, feeding habits and physical exercises. This treatment also carries a risk of acute metabolic complications dreaded by the patient, the main one being hypoglycaemia. These constraints and fears have important effects on the patient's state of mind and must be taken into consideration by all those who look after him. For a strict and global handling of the diabetics' medical problems, it has been found necessary to institute an educational approach aimed at informing the patient, teaching him practical actions, facilitating his autonomy and reducing his anxiety and isolation. This approach is called diabetes education. It requires special training, as well as time and means, and must be subjected to evaluation. It is now well established that diabetes education is able to reduce the constraints of the disease, the frequency of metabolic accidents and the cost of diabetes. It is usually developed in hospital structures, but it also concerns private diabetologists and other medical helpers. This should convince the State authorities to recognize this teaching activity as a genuine therapeutic activity.