Summary
The award winning ‘Getting Sorted’ enterprise sits in Leeds Metropolitan University. Strong evidence shows that there is significant variation in the measured outcomes of children with diabetes across Yorkshire & Humber, with less than 15 per cent achieving national levels of recommended control, leading to poor outcomes in adulthood. Their solution was to actively engage young people at every stage of the research process and create five unique, active and informative workshops that are young person centred. The key objective being to enable young people to increase their understanding and self-manage their diabetes in ways that suit them, thereby reducing the risk of long term complications.Results
The project was conducted through workshops in which a total of 200 young people participated. We measured success by examining the following QIPP based areas:
- Improved involvement of children, young people, parents and professionals in managing care to ensure more appropriate access to healthcare.
- Enhanced quality of care in the long term as children and young people can manage their own care more effectively.
- Healthcare professionals and commissioners have access to information, providing increased knowledge and understanding of children and young people, and what needs to be commissioned regarding improved self-care for children and young people with Type 1 diabetes.
- Self-efficacy, empowerment and engagement are the key principles of the workshops. All participants engaged in the work are more likely to take ownership of the model and be proactive in terms of managing the condition.
Challenge
Currently, the quality of care for children and young people (CYP) with Type 1 diabetes in the UK is variable and often below European and global standards. Poor quality of care results in the increased risk of not only short- and long-term clinical complications, but also compromised social and psychological wellbeing.
Evidence from the recent National Diabetes Paediatric Audit shows more than 85 per cent of CYP with diabetes are not achieving the NICE target of <7.5 per cent HbA1c; this remains unchanged over the last seven years. Therefore, we have no option but to radically change our clinical practices and systems to manage CYP with diabetes effectively.
Solution
The ‘Getting Sorted’ programme is a model of care based on the views of young people with Type 1 diabetes. It looks at what impacts on their lives and what they want in a self-care programme. The ethos of the programme is to engage young people actively at every stage, and for young facilitators to innovatively deliver five workshops.
The workshops are unique, active, informative and young-person-centred. They are aligned to current national drivers relating to the Expert Patient Programme, the key objective being to enable young people to increase their understanding and self manage their diabetes in ways that suit them, thereby reducing the risk of long-term complications.
Client Verdict
"Getting Sorted does just that, by listening carefully and working cohesively and professionally. They interact effectively with patients and families to develop self empowering [help] strategies that are new and fun and enjoyed by the patients, which adds to their care."
Dr Dammann Dieter (RTR), Consultant Paediatrician with a specialist interest in Diabetes
