Surely you have a friend or family member who has diabetes or you may even suffer from it. There are many people who, when they were given the news of this condition, did not receive sufficient or educational information about the condition when it was diagnosed.
According to International Diabetes Federation (FID), one in four people living with this disease did not receive sufficient or educational information about their condition when they were diagnosed. In Mexico, for example, most people with diabetes spend five hours a year or less in consultation with a health professional, most of the time taking care of themselves.
Access to information and education is essential for diabetes self-care
Access to information and education during diagnosis and afterwards is essential to support self-care for this condition, as it allows people living with diabetes to control their condition effectively.
When not well controlled, the risk of serious complications increases; such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and lower-middle amputation.
A quarter (specifically, 26 percent) of people living with diabetes in Mexico report consultations of less than 15 minutes, which are not enough to discuss their treatment or provide advice on important issues such as diet and exercise. By comparison, most visits worldwide last at least 15 to 30 minutes, and one in five (19 percent) report visits lasting from 30 minutes to an hour.
By 2030, it is expected that there will be more than 17 million people with this condition.
In addition, one in three people (33 percent) in Mexico do not have face-to-face or online consultations with a diabetes educator, nurse, or dietitian to receive additional information to help them manage their condition.
The number of people with diabetes is growing rapidly. By the year 2030, the IDF predicts that the number of people living in Mexico with this condition would have exceeded 17 million. This will put additional pressure on healthcare resources and could limit the time available to healthcare professionals.