Quality Standards for Diabetes Care Toolkit

Overview

The information below is separated into two sections:

type 1 diabetes management and multidisciplinary team approaches

insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems.

Introduction

Type 1 diabetes management and multidisciplinary team approaches

Around 10% of people diagnosed with diabetes are thought to have type 1 diabetes and Ministry of Health statistics (2013) suggest this would include over 24,000 individuals in New Zealand. However the prevalence of type 1 is increasing in New Zealand and other countries.

Map of medicine

The Map of Medicine is an interactive tool based on evidence-based, practice-informed care maps which connect all the knowledge and services around a clinical condition.

The information associated with type 1 diabetes is that:

it generally presents with acute hyperglycaemic symptoms:

polydipsia

polyuria

polyphagia

tiredness

it is often associated with ketonuria

it is often associated with marked weight loss

it often presents in younger patients

the initial management should be started by a diabetes specialist and involve the care of a multidisciplinary diabetic team.

http://healthguides.mapofmedicine.com/choices/map-open/diabetes1.html

Multidisciplinary team

Diabetes New Zealand (Diabetes NZ) notes the importance of the individual working with health care professionals as a member of the health care team. For the individual, an understanding of the condition is vital as is the need for identification of team members and clear discussions around roles and responsibilities in order to achieve the best possible care. Potential members of the team are identified for people with diabetes by Diabetes NZ as:

the family/whānau or caregiver

general practitioner (GP)

practice nurse

dietitian

pharmacist

diabetes nurse/diabetes nurse educator

diabetes specialist (diabetologist)

optometrist/ophthalmologist

podiatrist

psychologist

other health professionals, such as a midwife for gestational diabetes

diabetes support organisations, eg, Diabetes NZ, or the local diabetes society/support group.