Beyond CME: Diabetes Education Field-Interactive Strategies from Sweden

Abstract

The Diabetes Educational and Training Unit (DETU) at Karolinska Hospital is a permanent, continuing medical education unit working with general practitioners and nurse teams from Stockholm's neigh borhood health centers. It offers a two-week educational program four times a year, teaching a comprehensive approach to diabetes care. Evaluation research found that centers that had implemented the approach taught at the CME course had excellent staff rapport and produced patients who were more knowledgeable about their disease and better able to engage in self-care. As a result of this research, the Stockholm DETU has added innovative field- interactive strategies to stimulate centers that have not implemented the program. These strategies include techniques to enhance staff rapport, increase knowledge and interest in care for people with diabetes, and arrive at staff- determined approaches for organizing diabetes care. Initial evaluation of these strategies indicate encouraging results.