X-PERT Health
The X-PERT Diabetes Programme is a specially designed patient education programme to provide people with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to self-manage their diabetes.
It is not a set of strict instructions that dictate behaviour change and then measure success based on levels of compliance, but a new, tried and tested approach to patient education based on the theories of empowerment and patient activation.
Participants with diabetes and a supportive family member or friend are invited to attend six, 2½ hour sessions of empowering education, discovery learning, demonstration and discussion. Each participant gets a copy of the “Diabetes Health Profile” which they can complete themselves to monitor their progress by self-testing and obtaining the relevant information from their diabetes care team. Participants are also invited to annual update sessions.
What the six week plan involves
Week 1
• What is diabetes?
• Digestion & blood glucose
• Healthy lifestyle for looking after diabetes
• Health results - what do they mean?
• Medications for diabetes
• Care planning: lifestyle experiment to address the diabetes health profile
Week 2
• Eating for good health and blood glucose control
• Energy balance
• The benefits of physical activity
• Weight management and the 500 calorie deficit
• How to assess what you’re eating
• Care planning: lifestyle experiment to explore your diet
Week 3
• Carbohydrate - an important nutrient in diabetes
• What are carbohydrate (starchy & sugary) foods?
• The quantity (amount) and quality (type) of carbohydrate foods
• What carbohydrates are you having?
• Care planning: lifestyle experiment to explore the carbs I am eating
Week 4
• Reading and understanding food labels
• Understanding the traffic light system and guideline
• daily amounts (GDAs)
• What do the nutritional claims mean?
• Care planning: lifestyle experiment to explore the foods you buy
Week 5
• Low and high blood glucose levels
• Possible complications of diabetes
• Prevention of complications
• Importance of regular check ups
• Living with diabetes: work, driving, insurance, travel.....
• Care planning: lifestyle experiment to keep healthy
Week 6
• X-PERT Game
• Questions and answers
• Comments and feedback
• Care planning: to take charge and self-manage your diabetes
For more information take a look at our website at www.xperthealth.org.uk