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27th May 2008 |
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Survey finds 9 out 10 people people with Type 2 diabetes are being failed when it comes to education about their condition
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As the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is set to announce new guidance (28th May) recommending regular blood glucose monitoring that is supported by appropriate education for people with Type 2i diabetes, brand new research reveals that Type 2 sufferers lack the education they need to properly self-manageii despite the NHS being required to provide this by lawiii . The study conducted by Roche Diagnostics, a global leader with Accu-Chek diabetes management systems and services, found that more than 9 in 10 (94%) Type 2 sufferers are being failed as they have not attended any formal education coursesiv to support the management of their diabetesv .
The research conducted amongst 872 people with Type 2 diabetesvi found that just under half (45%) wished there was more information available to them about managing and treating their diabetes, with only one in three (33%) being offered information about formal education courses by their healthcare professional, and just 6% ever attending formal education. This figure includes insulin users who have a heightened need to manage and understand their diabetes. The survey also found that whilst over two-thirds (67%) said they were confident about their knowledge of how to self-manage, a similar figure (65%) were experiencing frequent episodes of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia, at least once a year or more, putting them at risk of long-term health complications vii.
It is widely recognised that careful blood glucose monitoring is an important component of good diabetes care, however this has been traditionally seen as only essential in Type 1 diabetes. The NICE review acknowledges that regular testing helps people with Type 2 diabetes assess the effect of their medication or lifestyle changes in controlling their diabetes, and hence helping avoid long-term complicationsviii.
Dr David Cavan, consultant diabetologist at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and spokesman for the Diabetes Education Network, said: "It is very encouraging that NICE has recommended self-management education for people with Type 2 diabetes, and that they now recommend that glucose self-monitoring should be offered to all patients as part of their self-management regime. This new research shows that more needs to be done to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes receive the right type of support for their long-term health needs and well-being."
The Roche Diagnostics survey found that when diagnosed, three-quarters (75%) of respondents were recommended by their healthcare professional to self-monitor their blood glucose levels on a daily basis. However almost six in ten (59%) were not following these guidelines by self-monitoring less often than daily or not at all.
Download Roche Survey Summary (pdf)
i There are over 2 million people with Type 2 diabetes in the UK. It is the most common of the two types of diabetes and accounts for 85% - 95% of cases. Developing when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly, it is often linked with being overweight. It tends to appear in people over the age of 40, however, recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven (Diabetes UK).
ii The recommendations on education have recently been acknowledged by the Healthcare Commission (July 2007). Their research within PCTs found that the number of people who had not attended an education course on diabetes care, and would like to, ranged from 16% at the trust with the lowest attendance rate to 41% at the trust with the highest rate. Approximately half of trusts (55%) had 10% of people or fewer reported attending a course on diabetes care.
iii NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance - No.60. Patient-education models for diabetes (2003). Under clinical governance arrangements, NHS organisations in England and Wales have to take all NICE guidance into account. In addition, in January 2002 the Government announced statutory obligation for the NHS to provide funding for treatments recommended by NICE as part of its technology appraisals work programme, but only if considered appropriate by the clinician and patient. Those responsible for providing healthcare locally are now responsible for making funds available to support NICE appraisal guidance within 3 months.
iv Formal education is defined as one-to-one instruction or group education courses for managing diabetes that lasted more than a single day (i.e. multiple days)
v 94% said they had never attended formal education (survey conducted by Research Plus on behalf of Roche Diagnostics)
vi Based on an independent online survey conducted by Research Plus on behalf of Roche Diagnostics. A total of 872 UK Type 2 Diabetes Sufferers, were surveyed between 14th- 18th May 2008
vii UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group. Lancet 1998; 352: 837-853
viii Long-term complications include cardio-vascular disease, kidney damage, nerve and eye damage (Diabetes UK)
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2007 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and sales by the Diagnostics Division totalled 9.3 billion Swiss francs. Roche Diabetes Care posted 2007 sales of 3.2 billion Swiss francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the Group employs about 79,000 people.
Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.
About Roche Diabetes Care
Roche Diabetes Care is a pioneer in the development of blood glucose monitoring systems and a global leader for diabetes management systems and services. For more than 30 years, the Accu-Chek brand has been committed to enable people with diabetes to live life as normal and active as possible as well as to help healthcare professionals manage their patients' condition in an optimal way. Today, the Accu-Chek portfolio offers people with diabetes and healthcare professionals innovative products and services and comprehensive solutions for convenient, efficient and effective diabetes management spanning from blood glucose monitoring through information management to insulin delivery. The Accu-Chek brand encompasses blood glucose meters, infusion pumps, lancing and data management systems.
For more information please visit www.accu-chek.com.
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.
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