6. Themed Days - Primary Care

6.13. Diabetes

Preparatory work

In preparation you should have:  

 


  • Watch this short 2-minute video outlining what Type 2 Diabetes is, produced by diabetes UK.   Can you recall some of the symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes?  Can you think why it might go a long time undiagnosed? 

 

  • Watch this short 2-minute video outlining what Type 1 diabetes is produced by diabetes UK.  Can you recall what the 4Ts stood for? 

 

  • Watch this 5-minute video outlining a day in the life of Tom who lives with Type 1 Diabetes.  For the session, bring 5 key points you took away from Tom’s Day that you will remember for the future. 

 

  • Watch this 2-minute video by Praful who speaks about his experience of living with Type 2 Diabetes.  For the session, you should think about Praful’s journey.   You should bring a long your 3 key learning points from his experience. 

  

 

 

 

 

Aims  

  

To introduce you to the pathophysiology of diabetes; and to the impact diabetes has on the individual and society.  

  

  

Learning Outcomes  

  

By the end of the day you should be able to:  

  

  • describe the incidence and prevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and the impact of diabetes on the general practice ;  

  • discuss some factors that may be contributing to the rise in prevalence of Type 2 diabetes;  

  • recognise and understand the impact of diabetes on an individual;  

  • identify some health promotion interventions to reduce the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes;  

  • practise blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose testing, height and weight measurement.  

  

Example timetable  

9.30 – 10.30   

Tutorial on diabetes   

Reflect upon the key points you took away from the preparatory videos you watched 

  

10.30 – 10.45   

  

Tea break   

10.45 – 11.45  

Prepare for patient encounters  

  • Plan questions and observations   

  

Patient encounters  

  • Some students can sit in on a clinic with GP/practice nurse  

  • Other students to interview patient/s with diabetes  

  

11.45 – 12.45  

Students feedback to group on their patient encounters and group discussion  

  

Set up afternoon activity;  

Debate - Is Type 2 diabetes a reversible disease of lifestyle?  

  

12.45 –13.45  

Lunch break  

  

13.45 – 14.30  

Students research and prepare for debate in 2 groups  

  

14.30 – 15.00  

Debate  

  

15.00 – 15.15  

Tea break  

  

15.15 – 16.00  

Debrief from day  

Set homework for next session  

  

  

  

Suggested Activities  

  

  • Tutorial on diabetes – could include discussion around types of diabetes, incidence & prevalence statistics (national/local) and factors causing increased prevalence Type 2 diabetes, a quiz (either set by tutor or each student to contribute 1 or 2 questions), student presenting on students presenting pre-agreed topics based around preparatory work, ‘hot topics’ e.g. lifestyle medicine.  

  • Look at using resources such as diabetes.org.uk for presentation and discussion 

  • Session with practice nurse/healthcare assistant to introduce students to the monitoring of patients with diabetes at the practice.  

  • Observe a consultation with a patient with diabetes; this could be a diabetic review.  

  • Interview a patient with diabetes, with the possibility of a home visit.   

  • Interview a health care professional involved with the care of the patients with diabetes.  

  • Group discussion after meeting patient/s and healthcare professionals to compare the patient’s and professional’s views on the management of diabetes and its impact on the patient’s life.  

  • Group debate e.g. Is Type 2 diabetes a reversible disease of lifestyle?  

  • Clinical skills teaching and practice e.g. blood pressure measurement, blood glucose testing, height and weight measurements and BMI calculations and interpretation. Discuss/observe how some diabetes monitoring is being carried out virtually.   

  • Students join practice/MDT meeting.  

  • Student-led research into local services and facilities for people with diabetes. This could include some students visiting local sites or conducting research on foot e.g. to local library/community centre.   

  

  

Questions for you to consider  

  

  • If you met a patient with diabetes – what did you learn about the impact the condition has on their day-to-day life?  Did anything they told you surprise you?  Did you think they could do anything to improve their own situation?  How can health care professionals help patients to help themselves?  

  • If type 2 diabetes is increasing because of our sedentary lifestyle and increasing weight (as a population) what is the role of the doctor in diabetes?  Should efforts be concentrated on prevention?  How far should we go to ‘encourage’ people to make healthy choices?  Or should doctors concentrate on treating the patients that present?