New Strategies Needed to Combat Alarming Rise in Diabetes

New research suggests improved patient education can play a key role in halting the escalation of diabetes and reduce both the financial and personal impact of diabetes in our society.

Experts have predicted that by 2025, the number of people with diabetes will have increased by 20 per cent within Europe, 80 percent within Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern populations and 80 percent within the African patient population(1). Diabetes specialists and patients agree that improved education for healthcare professionals and patients could, however, reduce both the financial and personal impact of diabetes on our society.

New research unveiled last week at the opening of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute in Paris, a new state-of-the art diabetes training facility for healthcare professionals involved in diabetes care across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), reinforced this belief and showed overwhelming support for improved education measures as a key enabler for patients to better manage the condition.

"With global health expenditure for diabetes and its complications set to exceed US$302.5 billion by 2025, a 30 per cent increase, and some of the largest segments of that expected in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, patients and healthcare professionals were interviewed in six countries representative of this vast region, to see what practical solutions were needed", said former Acting U.S. Surgeon General, Kenneth Moritsugu M.D., M.P.H., FACPM, who serves as the Global Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institutes’ Chairman.

"92% of healthcare professionals surveyed believe patient education can help reduce the burden of diabetes on society, yet despite this, 58% of those patients surveyed want more information and advice from their healthcare professional on how to better manage the disease. This discrepancy can be explained by the fact that healthcare professionals themselves are seeking new and improved training and tools to help in engaging and empowering patients to master their diabetes."

The Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute’s commitment to improved education as a priority within the EMEA was validated by findings from a research report developed by the Johnson and Johnson Diabetes Institute EMEA and the London School of Economics. The report, Diabetes: Tipping Point or Turning Point?, includes results from detailed interviews with healthcare professionals and patients across the region and extensive analysis of current research, representing a unique attempt to highlight the known escalation of the burden of diabetes across the EMEA and the unmet need for improved educational opportunities for physicians and patients.

"Research shows that in developed nations, health expenditure for diabetes care is higher than it need be because not enough is being spent aiming at the prevention of major diabetes-related complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and amputations," said Dr. Maria Raikou, a health economist at The London School of Economics and report co-author.

    Other highlights from the report include:

    – 92 percent of physicians surveyed believe patient education can help reduce the burden of disease on society.

    – 73 percent of healthcare professionals surveyed would like an increase in the number and quality of tools available to educate patients.

    – 82 percent of healthcare professionals surveyed believe education is central to the successful management of diabetes.

The report findings also highlight a perceived failure of policymakers  to provide adequate funding for educational measures. Most healthcare professionals surveyed felt that current healthcare policies being implemented for diabetes by national governments are not placing sufficient emphasis on patient education (64 percent).

The Diabetes: Tipping Point or Turning Point? report was sponsored by the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute and authored by a multi-disciplinary team. Globally, the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute provides healthcare professionals with education, training and a space for collaboration, with the aim of enhancing the understanding of diabetes and helping to improve patient outcomes.

Each Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute aims to ensure that diabetes specialists are able to receive skills training and education customized to reflect the needs of patients and providers in their region, as well as supporting proven guideline implementation and an efficient use of resources within diabetes care.

There are currently four instructional Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institutes in operation worldwide (United States, Japan, China, France), with plans for further Institutes to be opened.

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