THE ADDED VALUE OF THERAPY IN DIABETES - THE EDUCATION OF PATIENTS FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT OF THEIR DISEASE

The long-term success of diabetes therapy is strongly dependent on edu cation of the patient. Considerable emphasis and effort has been direc ted at this dimension of treatment by healthcare providers (HCPs) in t he field of diabetology. Education of patients is not aimed at making them more knowledgable about their disease, but to help them better ma nage their treatment and adapt the diabetes control to the constant ch anges in daily life, Patient education is a complex process, and many factors may interfere with the patient's understanding. There is growi ng awareness among HCPs that more knowledge and skill have to be acqui red in the field of therapeutic education of patients. Copyright (C) 1 997 by W.B. Saunders Company.