Devising therapeutic patient education on diabetes to improve quality of life
24 April 2024, Cairo, Egypt – A Therapeutic Patient Education Expert Workshop held on 21–22 April made significant advances towards developing a regional curriculum for therapeutic patient education (TPE) on diabetes management.
A diverse group of regional and global experts came together at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt, to engage in rigorous review sessions, working groups, and plenary discussions. These exchanges were critical in refining the curriculum components.
Participants included endocrinologists, dieticians, health education specialists and public health experts, as well as people with lived experience of diabetes. Also present were colleagues from WHO headquarters, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Therapeutic Patient Education in Geneva.
About therapeutic patient education
TPE is a structured, organized, person-centred learning process. It is defined as educational activities essential to the management of a pathological condition, with the activities managed by health workers trained in the education of patients.
The process is designed to help a patient (or a group of patients and their families) manage their treatment and prevent avoidable complications, while maintaining or improving their quality of life.
TPE is of particular importance. It is a cornerstone and essential part of the treatment and long-term management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Coordinated and patient-centred approaches are used to manage NCDs, in line with the patient’s needs, resources, environment, values and preferences.
Purpose and progress
The Therapeutic Patient Education Expert Workshop discussed a draft curriculum to guide a training of trainers in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with a focus on
