As the rate of diabetes continues to rise at an alarming pace, and with the science and clinical evidence evolving almost as rapidly, Diabetes Canada is dedicated to ensuring people living with diabetes get outstanding care by delivering up-to-date Clinical Practice Guidelines (Guidelines) to their health-care providers.
There have been great strides to improving diabetes outcomes thanks to research evidence, but the reality is that these improvements are only achieved by those who are appropriately screened and treated. “There is a vast amount of information for health-care providers to stay up-to-date with, and our goal is to provide them with the guidance and tools to help inform and engage patients in their care so they can live well through all stages of their life,” says Dr. Jan Hux, president of Diabetes Canada.
The Guidelines recommendations are developed by following a very rigorous process, including a structured review of the quality of every relevant research study and how it might apply in practice. “This ensures that each recommendation is based on the strongest, clinically relevant evidence available,” says Dr. Hux. “The true value of knowledge that is gleaned from research comes when it is applied to clinical care.”
To ensure maximum impact when it comes to improving access to care, better outcomes for people living with diabetes, and the prevention of complications (heart disease, amputation, kidney failure, blindness, etc.), the 2018 Guidelines tools, education and communications are focused around the following three areas:
Reducing the Risk of Complications
• using the right medications to protect your body (feet, eyes, kidneys, etc.)
Keeping People with Diabetes Safe
• using medications safely
• safe driving
• taking care when sick
Supporting Self-Management
• starting and staying on track – setting goals for healthy lifestyle habits (eating, physical activity, etc.)
The new Guidelines are also the first to include a separate set of key messages for people living with diabetes that have been written in lay language. “In order for Diabetes Canada and our diverse team of health-care provider experts to bridge the gap between science and the lived experience of the disease, we invited individuals living with diabetes to provide input into the development of resources and tools,” says Dr. Hux.
Diabetes Canada’s 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines are available at www.guidelines.diabetes.ca and the latest updates will be made to the app in the coming weeks (available for iPhone and Android users).
About Diabetes Canada
Diabetes Canada is the registered national charitable organization that is making the invisible epidemic of diabetes visible and urgent. Diabetes Canada partners with Canadians to End Diabetes through:
- Resources for health care professionals on best practices to care for people with diabetes;
- Advocacy to governments, schools and workplaces; and
- Funding world-leading Canadian research to improve treatments and find a cure.
For more information, visit diabetes.ca or call 1-800-BANTING (226-8464).