Improving our health by translating research evidence into local NHS practice
medical research aims to improve quality of life for diabetes patients
Pioneering research which aims to improve care for diabetes patients is being carried out in south Birmingham where more than 14% of all deaths are related to the condition.
Consultants are working with people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes to evaluate education and support packages and discover better ways of reaching the community’s diverse social and ethnic groups.
The study will measure the benefits for those taking part, determine why others are not taking up the care on offer and identify how barriers can be overcome to improve patients’ quality of life.
Dr Parth Narendran, Diabetes Consultant at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “In South Birmingham more than 4% of the population has diabetes and more than 14% of deaths can be attributed to diabetes. This is one of the highest figures in the UK and reflects our high ethnic mix and social deprivation.
“We need to assess whether the education available to patients is helpful and whether it is delivered within the right structure.
“In particular we will be looking at the uptake by ethnic minorities who are traditionally very hard to reach. Many South Asian families have members with Type 2 diabetes and their close relatives are more likely to develop it. We need to explore ways in which we can reach out to educate and manage their disease.”
The two-year project is one of nine research themes being explored under an NIHR initiative called Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Birmingham and the Black Country. The research study will work with GP practices targeting areas with a high South Asian population.
The findings will be shared with another eight CLAHRCs being piloted across the UK and any complementary research will be shared to greater understand obstacles and delivery of support throughout the NHS nationally.
NHS South Birmingham currently commissions the Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND) programme for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Patients have a choice of two DESMOND programmes to participate in; Foundation or BME specific.
Dr Narendran explained: “We will be evaluating DESMOND to give us before and after results. We will evaluate the programme, measure its uptake and effects on diet and exercise, look at attendance for necessary check-ups and the glucose control achieved.
“We need to determine ways of improving how our patients manage chronic diseases and ultimately improve their quality of life.”
Type 2 Diabetes currently affects around five per cent of the population in the UK. Recently announced government plans for a national screening programme are likely to result in the identification of even more patients. Currently, a major proportion of patients with Type 2 diabetes do not find out they have the disease until they suffer a related condition, such as heart, circulatory or neurological problems.
Latest figures from the charity TDiabetesT UK, calculated by combining research evidence, TdiabetesT prevalence estimates and population and mortality data, show that TdiabetesT is
People of South Asian, African, African-Caribbean and Middle Eastern descent are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes . Those with an African-Caribbean or South Asian background who live in the UK are at least five times more likely to have diabetes than the white population. People of African-Caribbean or South Asian origin are also more likely to develop complications of diabetes such as heart disease at a younger age than the rest of the population.
