The education of diabetic patients, proposed as an essential therapeut
ic tool since the early 1920s and accepted as such by official medicin
e only in the 1970s, has generated great enthusiasm over the last deca
de, with increasing concern for greater effectiveness by improved moti
vation of both patients and doctors. Structured education depends on t
he precise definition of agreed, short-term objectives, whose attainme
nt shall be verified. Educational objectives may be set at different l
evels: knowledge of the disease, skills required for treatment, capaci
ty to integrate therapy in everyday life,... The most relevant objecti
ves however are the therapeutic goals of each individual patient, i.e.
most often, prevention of acute complications, near-normoglycemia to
prevent late complications and foot care to prevent disabling conseque
nces of the latter. This can only be attained through a global approac
h to the patient, at once medical, educational and psychological. Medi
cal science has definitively confirmed the importance of near- normogl
ycemia and proposes more effective insulin regimens and new recommenda
tions for diet and exercise. Education demands a lot from health care
providers: specific training, teaching skills, good communication, sup
portive attitude, readiness to listen and to negotiate. Patients' moti
vation to learn and adhere to treatment is also greatly influenced by
individual factors, both psychological and environmental, that need to
be taken into account.