Diabetes is a lifelong disease, as a chronic disease it requires constant modification to lifestyle and treatment. Live Well with Diabetes is a resource that you can use when you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to learn about the disease and how to manage it; also to share the information with your family members so they understand and appreciate the modification in lifestyle that you have to do. If you are taking medication or insulin; it is a comprehensive resource on how to take these medications, their potential side effects and how to monitor their impact on your management program. No matter how much you know about diabetes, continues learning is valuable and will help you to better manage diabetes.

Live Well with Diabetes is not a substitute to the information you will receive from your doctor or at the diabetes education centre.

Learn how to understand your blood sugar monitoring results and lab results. Prepare yourself before visiting your doctor with specific questions to make best use of the visit time.

It has been well documented that patients look to family physicians for advice and counselling in the areas of medical therapy, physical activity, and diet. However, diabetes requires long term and extensive education; a number of factors could affect the education provided by the physician such as time restriction, languages and cultural. Live Well with Diabetes can assist you in providing education to your patients before, during, and after their visit to your practice.

Time of diagnoses:
When the patient has already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you can refer her/him to Live Well with Diabetes website to start their learning process. As you know in Canada only 30% of people with type 2 diabetes attend Diabetes Education Centres, and the average waiting period is three month. This could lead to misconceptions and to patient’s ignoring the value of informed self-management and compliance with a treatment plan. The delay in receiving appropriate education could have a serious impact on the long-term health of people with diabetes.

During the visit
The waiting time is most practices ranges from 15 to 60 minutes, this valuable time could be utilized by using iPad or Touch Screen computers to education the patient on diabetes in general or on a specific topic that you are planning to discuss with the patient; this will make the visit more interactive and efficient.

After the visit
You can refer the patient to most of Live Well with Diabetes educational modules; however there are a number of modules that could be of high value these are starting insulin and how to use insulin injection devices, diabetes medication, physical activity, foot care, and healthy diet. For example, if you prescript insulin; the patient can learn how to using the insulin injection device from Live Well with Diabetes right away, this will help to reduce anxiety, also the patient can share this information with their family members. Even if the patient receives the information at your practice or from the pharmacy; they can always refresh their knowledge by accessing Live Well with Diabetes which is available from most of the mobile devices in addition to personal computers.

As a diabetes support group, you can build a structured educational program utilizing Live Well with Diabetes materials. Each month members of the group can chose a topic, for example insulin, each member can view that module alone; invite a local healthcare professional with expertise in this particular field to interact with members of the group and answer and additional questions they may have. Also members can share their experience and how they were able to meet any challenge they have faced. If you can’t find an expert to join your meeting; the group can watch the model together and then share their experience.

A large percentage of hospital visitors (long/short term) are diagnosed with type 2; Live Well with Diabetes can be integrated as part of the hospital closed TV circuit or used as DVDs to provide these patients with valuable education while they are staying at the hospital. The program could also be used as Continued Medical Education to hospital staffs that are not trained on managing diabetes.