Current Projects and Activities of the ADS
ADS/APEG Type 1 Diabetes Guidelines in Paediatrics & Adolescence
The Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group and the Australian Diabetes Society have been contracted by the Department of Health and Ageing to review and update the Type 1 Diabetes Guidelines in Paediatrics and Adolescence and for the first time to extend these Guidelines into adulthood.
This review and update complies with the National Health and Medical Research Council requirement that guidelines are reviewed every five years. These updated guidelines, following ultimate endorsement, are to be released in Mid-2011.
Lipid Management in Diabetes Mellitus
ADS intend to review and update the Lipid Management Guidelines in Diabetes Mellitus.
Australian Diabetes Foot Network
Over the past decade there has been a growing level of clinical and research interest in diabetes related foot complications amongst Australian health professionals. As a result, a decision was made by the Australian Diabetes Society to establish a national Australian Diabetes Foot Network (ADFN). The ADFN is comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of health professionals who have an interest / expertise in the area of diabetes related foot complications.
The diverse professional backgrounds of the ADFN members is a deliberate strategy to: (1) re-enforce the fact that a multi-disciplinary team should be seen as standard care for preventing and managing all diabetes related foot complications and (2) encourages the flow of communication in both directions, from the working group to the national professional bodies and then to the individual health carers. Therefore, each member of the ADFN will act as the conduit for the flow of information for their professional group, allowing all health professionals to have a direct voice to the ADFN.
The ADFN has identified a number of key areas that they will address, with the basic guiding principles being patient advocacy, professional support / education, political and policy improvement and support of quality research. The initial ADFN objectives include:
- To advocate on behalf of individuals with diabetes so that they can expect to receive appropriate preventative and acute foot care throughout Australia. This is likely to extend to lobbying of political groups for greater funding and availability of key treatments,
- To develop nationally accepted educational programs to improve an individuals’ ability to self care,
- To create a national register of health professionals, institutions and multi-disciplinary high risk foot clinics, who manage such conditions, in order to enhance professional support and referrals,
- To provide leadership and education to health professionals in order to improve health care provision and clinical outcomes. An initial strategy will be to create a specific program at up-coming ADS / ADEA annual meetings,
- To create / revise / update national professional guidelines, and
- To assist / support collaborative scientific research into the area of diabetes related foot complications within Australia.
The ADFN realises that many of their objectives are ambitious and will not occur overnight. However, it is hoped that by uniting all interested and affected professional groups, and by being able to call upon the assistance of like minded health professionals in the future, that the common aim of improving the foot care and outcomes of Australian individuals with diabetes will be achieved.
This is an Australian Diabetes Society initiative and is funded under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The National Diabetes Services Scheme is an initiative of the Australian Government administered by Diabetes Australia.
Diabetes & Driving Working Party
This NDSS working party it taking the initiative on diabetes and driving. It is currently assessing relevant coroner’s cases in Australia, international guidelines and a systematic literature review to develop practical support tools for medical health care workers and their patients with diabetes, in this challenging topic.
The Working Party is also contributing to the ‘Assessing Fitness to Drive’ National Roads document which is undergoing review in 2009, to aid in clarity and direction to help minimise adverse outcomes, especially in those at high risk of an event.
This is an Australian Diabetes Society initiative and is funded under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The National Diabetes Services Scheme is an initiative of the Australian Government administered by Diabetes Australia.
Life after Gestational Diabetes Working Group
The Australian Diabetes Society (ADS), in conjunction with the Australian Diabetes Educator Association (ADEA) and the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) are pleased to announce the completion of the resources “Life after gestational diabetes”.
AIM
To increase the awareness of the need to manage lifestyle and test for diabetes post a GDM pregnancy.
MEMBERSHIP
Representatives from:
Australian Diabetes Society
Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society
Australian Diabetes Educators Association
Diabetes Australia
Consumer Representative
Health Promotion Representative
PURPOSE
- To develop an educational resource (eg a booklet) for women who have had GDM, which is to provide effective messages relating to diabetes risk, screening for diabetes and measures to reduce diabetes risk.
- Explore and organise mechanisms for its distribution.
- Evaluate its effectiveness.
- To develop a proposal for more detailed advice to complement the resource (eg materials that could be accessed through the NDSS website).
PROCESS
- Collate and survey existing materials relating to post-GDM health advice
- Development of the educational resources (booklet & Magnet) having undertaken 3 focus group(s) in Melbourne and Sydney
- Developed an evaluation process and have circulated the PRE RESOURCE SURVEY for testing the effectiveness of the material produced. Post Resource survey to go out in May 2010.
- Resources will be sent to women with NDSS Exit letter, 12 months after registration from September 2009.
- The development of complementary web materials is planned.
- The material has been produced in English, but there is a possibility of subsequent translation into other languages.
This is an Australian Diabetes Society initiative and is funded under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The National Diabetes Services Scheme is an initiative of the Australian Government administered by Diabetes Australia.
View and download the ‘Life after gestational diabetes mellitus’ booklet.
National Type 2 Diabetes Guideline Implementation Workshop
The suite of National Health & Medical Research Council Guidelines for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes has recently been completed. While preparing these guidelines has been a major piece of work, it represents only the beginning of the overall task. The real challenge now is to develop a strategy and program for their implementation and incorporation into routine practice and care for health professionals and people with diabetes and their carers.
The purpose of the workshop is to review current activities in diabetes guideline implementation and to consider ways of progressing and co-ordinating relevant guideline implementation activities.
The workshop is being convened and supported by the Australian Diabetes Society and is funded under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The National Diabetes Services Scheme is an initiative of the Australian Government administered by Diabetes Australia.
