Development and Implementation of a Pediatric Diabetes Team Education Program, Sudan

Objectives

Develop a comprehensive curriculum to train allied health care professionals (AHCPs) on the management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in children
Deliver a training program for AHCPs leading to formal certification in paediatric diabetes education
Empower a reference diabetes team based in Khartoum to provide continuous medical education to community diabetes centres throughout Sudan
Evaluate the effects of this comprehensive approach on the metabolic control of children

Approach

This project builds on a previous WDF project (WDF08-369) also implemented by the Sudanese Childhood Diabetes Association (SCDA). Similar to most African countries (and to many high resource countries), no standardised training program for AHCPs exists in Sudan. Despite training sessions provided to AHCPs, major issues have been identified: no comprehensive understanding of diabetes care; little reliance on evidence-based medicine; lack of understanding of the benefits of a team-based care and lack of knowledge to enable trouble shooting of common problems such as vomiting, exercise and fasting during Ramadan.

This lack of a formal, standardised curriculum and training program for AHCPs in the 15 paediatric diabetes clinics outside Khartoum (established through project WDF08-369) leads to a lack of recognition of their work and of motivation and as a consequence a very high turnover of the AHCPs, and ultimately a lack of long-term expertise in the centres.

This project addresses this gap by developing a standardised curriculum, based on available paediatric and adult resources in Sudan and elsewhere, and by making a list of topics to be included in the curriculum. Focus groups of AHCPs and patients and families will be an important part of this process.

Four sessions of the programme will be delivered over 6 weeks including both classroom learning and clinical experience. Long-term support will be provided to the trained AHCPs through a free-access online education component in Arabic and in English. The effects of this comprehensive approach on the metabolic control (though HbA1c) and the quality of life (through questionnaires validated in Arabic) of children will be evaluated over a 12-month period, as will the satisfaction of the AHCPs with the programme.

Expected results

Standardised curriculum for the training of AHCPs managing children with diabetes in Sudan developed
40 AHCPs trained through a 6-week diploma-based novel programme (including curriculum, clinical case discussion and clinical training)
Website for AHCPs, including an education component and a clinical component, developed
Estimated decrease of 1% in HbA1c levels, reduction of 50% of severe hypoglycaemia, 50% of ketoacidosis