X-PERT is one of several structured diabetes education courses in the UK.
Whereas the DAFNE course is aimed specifically at people with type 1 diabetes and DESMOND for people with type 2 diabetes, the X-PERT Diabetes Programme runs in three different formats to cater for people with different types of diabetes as well as those at risk of diabetes.
The course has been demonstrably proven to aid long-term control of diabetes, giving patients the knowledge and power to be in control of their diabetes.
What diabetes courses are run?
- X-PERT Prevention of Diabetes – asn intensive lifestyle programme aimed at reducing risk of developing type 2 diabetes for people at higher risk
- X-PERT Diabetes – for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with an emphasis on lifestyle choices.
- X-PERT Insulin – for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and are treated with insulin.
What do the diabetes X-PERT courses entail?
The diabetes X-PERT courses are structured to provide as much diabetes and lifestyle information as possible.
This includes guidance as to:
- What diabetes is
- Carbohydrate awareness
- How physical activity can help
- Understanding food labels
- Diabetes complications
- Avoiding hypos – sas part of the X-PERT insulin course
- Advice towards preventing diabetes from occurring for those at high risk
How is the diabetes X-PERT course structured?
The X-PERT course runs through six weekly sessions, each session lasting two and a half hours in local communities and also includes follow up sessions after the course has been completed.
The courses are run by trained diabetes educators, who are either diabetic themselves or work as diabetes specialists.
Who can do the X-PERT course?
Anyone diagnosed with diabetes can undertake the X-PERT diabetes and insulin courses. Furthermore, patients can bring their partners or carers, who are encouraged to join in.
The X-PERT Prevention of Diabetes is open to anyone who is deemed to be at higher risk of diabetes.
How can I join an X-PERT programme?
The courses are delivered through the NHS at no cost to the patient and X-PERT health centres are located throughout most of the UK.
Ask your GP, Diabetes Specialist Nurse or Consultant if you would like to be referred onto an X-PERT course.
How does X-PERT help diabetics?
The X-PERT course can help people with diabetes to learn new diabetes management skills, increase confidence in food choice and diet enhancement.
Furthermore, it can help to meet others with shared experience, and provides diabetics with the power to work with healthcare professionals to manage diabetes in the long-term.
How has diabetes X-PERT helped others?
By taking part in a diabetes X-PERT course, in the past patients have achieved the following: An improvement in body weight and diabetes control, reduced diabetes medication, increased skill to manage diabetes, an improved lifestyle, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol
Does it really work?
In the UK, there is a scarcity of diabetes information, particularly for newly diagnosed people. One X-PERT course patient was reported by the NHS as commenting: “This is the first time in 10 years of being a diabetic that anybody has told me these things.”
Knowledge is power when it comes to diabetes management.
