Information and education is key to empowering people to manage their health. Spirit Healthcare has developed Empower, a structured diabetes education program, which aims to help people better manage their diabetes. The educational courses should create better outcomes for patients by increasing awareness.
The sessions last about three hours, though group size and number of questions asked may affect how long the course takes. Empower is commissioned by a CCG and is free of charge to anybody that meets the criteria, even if they self-refer. Anyone attending must have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes within the last 12 months or have an HbA1c of over 8% if they have been diagnosed for longer. There are two Empower programmes for people with Type 2 diabetes; T2n for people who are newly diagnosed and T2i for people with established diabetes and those using insulin therapy.
The dedicated clinical educator teams support patients and healthcare professionals in better understanding diabetes and best practice management. The courses are currently run in local venues across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland but is expected to be available in other locations around the country soon. The EMPOWER dedicated phoneline is 0800-852-7460.
Courses are arranged to best meet the availability of all participants, including evenings and weekends. Typically, courses will be for between 6 and 12 people (carers and partners are welcome for additional support). EMPOWER courses are led by a trained and accredited Nurse Clinical Educator who will facilitate the session and answer any questions.
www.empower-diabetes.co.uk
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