New briefing calls for people to be put at the heart of diabetes services

A new briefing by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has called for people to be put at the heart of diabetes services.

The report brings together a collection of research from the past couple of years which illustrates how taking account of individuals’ needs, differences and wishes could improve diabetes services.

Its authors said: “Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing health challenges of the 21st century. It requires constant self-management and regular contact with healthcare services throughout life.

“This Collection provides examples of how taking account of individuals’ needs, differences and wishes, can help.

“Above all, it highlights that ‘one size does not fit all’. Every individual should be kept at the very centre of their own care.”

The report suggests starting prevention services at lower BMIs for people from certain ethnic groups could prevent type 2 diabetes in some.

It advises that people would be more likely to stay in prevention programmes if course materials were engaging and group sizes were kept below 15 participants.

The authors found that young people would be more likely to engage with diabetes services if their life priorities were given as much attention as their blood sugar levels.

They also suggested that increasing access to personal health records could help people self-manage their blood sugar levels and using personal risk scores to identify people at high risk of complications or worsening health could help provide targeted care.