Flash and CGM education pack for primary care now available
Healthcare professionals working in primary care can increase their knowledge of and confidence in flash glucose monitoring and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) thanks to a new suite of resources.
They have been put together by the award-winning EDEN (Effective Diabetes Education Now) programme alongside Abbott and Dexcom. The resources will be available nationally for all healthcare professionals in primary care from June 27 following Diabetes Week, which runs from Monday, June 13, to Sunday, June 19.
The education package, titled ‘Implementing Glucose Sensing in Primary Care’, has been endorsed by the Primary Care Diabetes Society (PCDS) and Diabetes Technology Network (DTN-UK), and has been developed in response to the latest NICE guidelines (NG17 and NG28) recommending wider access on the NHS to flash and CGM for people living with diabetes.
The use of flash glucose monitoring and CGM has proven to improve time in target glucose range, quality of life and reduce the risk of hospital admission for severe hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.
But these technologies have in the past been limited to only some people living with type 1 diabetes who required support from secondary care and those who were self-funding. With the release of the updated NICE guidelines in March 2022, access to flash glucose monitoring and CGM is recommended for all people living with type 1 diabetes, and for some people living with type 2 diabetes.
This means that many more people throughout the UK will have access to such technology, with many prescriptions coming in primary care. As with all changes in practice, knowledge and confidence for healthcare professionals to safely implement are essential.
“While we have expanded the NHS’s diabetes arsenal by introducing flash and CGMs to millions and achieving our Long Term Plan targets, it is essential our primary care colleagues are also given the opportunity to have the knowledge and training to ensure our roll out continues to be effective for patients.
“Eden’s work in this area is extremely valuable in improving the lives of those living with diabetes and will help support primary care colleagues who may be unfamiliar with the fast-moving world of glucose monitoring.
“This new and free education package, which can be easily accessed by GPs and healthcare professionals, will help with this by providing training modules on the DEXCOM and Abbott models currently on our tariff among other guides, which is a sure-fire way to improve health outcomes for those under our care.”
Professor Pratik Choudhary, Professor of Diabetes, Leicester Diabetes Centre, University of Leicester, Hon Consultant in Diabetes, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Chair – DTN-UK, Clinical Lead for Type 1 Diabetes – Midlands, said:
“The latest NICE guidelines provides greater access to glucose sensing for people with insulin-treated diabetes. A large proportion of these are managed in primary care and so it’s really important that we support primary care colleagues, increasing awareness, knowledge and familiarity with these systems and the data they generate so that we can provide our patients with better outcomes and quality of life.”
Laura Willcocks, Lead for Healthcare Professional Education and Training, EDEN, added:
“Eden and the Leicester Diabetes Centre pride themselves on being at the forefront of relevant and practical education for healthcare professionals across the UK and internationally. We are thrilled to be working with DTN-UK and PCDS, Abbott and Dexcom to create a suite of resources and tools that will enhance the knowledge of all staff working in primary care to support their patients confidently with new technology.”
Dr Sam Seidu is a General Practitioner and Partner at Hockley Farm Medical Practice and also a NIHR Clinical Lecturer. He said:
“CGM and flash glucose monitoring has revolutionised how people living with diabetes manage their condition. Up until now these devices have been largely initiated and managed in secondary care. The recently updated NICE guidance has helped to make this technology available to more of the patients I see in primary care, living with not just type 1, but also some people with type 2 diabetes. As a practising primary care clinician, the resources and educational packages created by the EDEN team will help me enhance my knowledge and confidence, and I look forward to learning and putting the theory into practice.”
Norfolk GP, Dr Clare Hambling, who is the Chair of PCDS, said:
“The aim of the PCDS is always to support primary care professionals to deliver high quality clinically effective care, improving the lives of people living with diabetes. We are very pleased to be working in collaboration with DTN-UK and EDEN at the Leicester Diabetes Centre for a complete suite of education materials to support the implementation of the NICE guidelines for Type 2 diabetes in Adults: Management(NG28) and Type 1 Diabetes in Adults: Diagnosis and Management (NG17).”
The resources will help primary healthcare professionals increase their knowledge and confidence around flash glucose monitoring and CGM. The education package consists of five key education elements:
Initial conversation piece and detailed core knowledge – video resources
Case studies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes – video and slide resources
Product training package, Abbott and Dexcom – e-learning
Implementation guide – web based
DTN-UK - additional learning