Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) along with the department of the Continuing and Professional Education at College of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CNA-Q) has come forward for the sixth year to provide ‘The Fundamentals of Diabetes Education’ program

The latter portion also is inclusive of tailored courses that offers the staffs of HMC with the relevant skills and knowledge required to specialize in the field of diabetes education, and contribute to Qatar’s National Diabetes Strategy 2016-22. 

This newly taken initiative is an important step in actively responding to the diabetes health challenge in the State of Qatar.

Professionals taking part in this program will gain a solid foundation in diabetes-care management, and will also have the chance to practice and apply their knowledge in a safe environment. Adding more into that, participants will be trained on how to interact with patients irrespective of all ages and from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. 

 

Reflecting on this collaboration Dr. Salem Al-Naemi, CNA-Q’s President said: “We are pleased to join forces with HMC and keep offering this valuable program. This training was developed to answer a need in the healthcare sector, and is a step in the direction of implementing the National Diabetes Strategy. We take pride in honourably supporting the healthcare sector to raise awareness about diabetes, and develop the patient’s ability to engage and self-manage their disease.”

Dr. Suhaim Khalaf Al-Josaiman, Manager of CNA-Q’s Continuing and Professional Education said: “The fundamentals of Diabetes Education, will give participants the necessary tools to plan, deliver and evaluate patient education. It is a live example of why we established the department in the first place. Our aim is to deliver flexible trainings that support the organisations’ need, and offer their teams development pathways.”

The program embodies four key sectors for a total of 132 hours. It also provides two courses about understanding and managing diabetes, and the rest two on tackle diabetes in special populations and principles of diabetes education.  

Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Director of the Qatar Metabolic Institute, HMC and Co-Chair of the National Diabetes Committee, MoPH, said that, “Diabetes is a major public health issue in Qatar, it affects 17% of adults and requires a multi-disciplinary approach for its management.  Diabetes educators are an important part of the treatment team. This training program is an answer to the action plan set by Qatar National Diabetes Strategy. The latter encouraged the increase of diabetes educators, and the necessity to equip them with the right training and knowledge to support the delivery of our comprehensive diabetes services.

”Manal Othman, Director of Diabetes Education at HMC, Co-Chair of patient empowerment of National Diabetes Strategy stated: Diabetes self-management is a key element in the trainings curricula. Diabetes educators are being taught how to seamlessly approach patients, educate them about their condition and how to help them take control of their own care. Such initiative improves the patient’s quality of life and reduces the burden of diabetes medical care on the health system”. During the program, CNA-Q welcomes many key-note speakers to share their insights and experience with the participants and discuss many subjects such as neuropathy, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, pediatric and adolescent diabetes and gestational diabetes. 

Courses also focus on developing communications skills required during emergencies and critical issues, in addition to applying fundamental principles of integrity; objectivity; ethical and professional competence.