Xpert

[Proudspirit]

Grrr, my friend has just been diagnosed with diabetes, they told her she had mild diabetes, i told her to go back and get a proper diagnoses so they have said that she is diabetic.. anyway was chatting to her the other night and she said that they were sending her on the xpert course! ive never been offered this, i feel like i don't have a clue what i'm doing any more.
her hba1c was 5.3 or 5.5 mine is 6.9. is it just the area we live in? im in stoke and she is in stockport.
im just jealous.

Julie x

 

[sofaraway]

Have you asked your GP/nurse if xpert is avaliable in your area? maybe they do DESMOND instead, or their own thing. You should be able to get onto a course of some kind.

 

[SweetGuy]

There is no such thing as mild diabetes LOL. Did they mean pre-diabetes?

I did the X-pert course a over two years ago. I wasn't referred by my doctors who knew nothing about it but initiated it myself by just ringing the contact person. At that time it was only available in certain areas so that is probably still the case. But just because no one in your health team know anything about it doesn't mean they don't do in your area LOL.

 

[Northerner]

This is the Xpert website which will tell you where it is available in your area:

http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/localcenter_living.php

 

[Peter C]

the xpert course! ive never been offered this, i feel like i don't have a clue what i'm doing any more.
her hba1c was 5.3 or 5.5 mine is 6.9. is it just the area we live in? im in stoke and she is in stockport.
im just jealous.

Julie x

Hi julie,
here are the 6 recommendations from NICE Guidlelines On Type 2 Diabetes.
This is waht yuo should be reciving education wise .... they mainly mean Desmond and X-pert when they talk about courses .....

"RECOMMENDATIONS
R1 Offer structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of
diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review. Inform people and their carers that
structured education is an integral part of diabetes care.
R2 Select a patient-education programme that meets the criteria laid down by the Department of
Health and Diabetes UK Patient Education Working Group.
Any programme should be evidence-based, and suit the needs of the individual. The
programme should have specific aims and learning objectives, and should support
development of self-management attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and skills for the learner,
their family and carers.
The programme should have a structured curriculum that is theory-driven and evidence-
based, resource-effective, has supporting materials, and is written down.
The programme should be delivered by trained educators who have an understanding of
education theory appropriate to the age and needs of the programme learners, and are
trained and competent in delivery of the principles and content of the programme they are
offering.
The programme itself should be quality assured, and be reviewed by trained, competent,
independent assessors who assess it against key criteria to ensure sustained consistency.
The outcomes from the programme should be regularly audited.
R3 Ensure the patient education programme provides the necessary resources to support the
educators, and that educators are properly trained and given time to develop and maintain their
skills.
R4 Offer group education programmes as the preferred option. Provide an alternative of equal
standard for a person unable or unwilling to participate in group education.
R5 Ensure the patient-education programmes available meet the cultural, linguistic, cognitive, and
literacy needs within the locality.
R6 Ensure all members of the diabetes healthcare team are familiar with the programmes of patient
education available locally, that these programmes are integrated with the rest of the care
pathway, and that people with diabetes and their carers have the opportunity to contribute to
the design and provision of local programmes."

 

[LisaLQ]

I think it depends on your area also. I've looked on the websites but while they have Airedale on the list, I'm none the wiser as to whether they do it or not as it says to contact my DN or GP, who said courses are only available for those who are on insulin (but have been very unhelpful with regarding self monitoring and being pro-active).

 

[lyndasw]

I have been put forward for Xpert too, but at the moment they are only taking names in my area for future courses so I don't know how long I have to wait. My friend who is type 1 for 34 yrs attended a course last year and found it very informative.

Lynda

 

[Peter C]

I think it depends on your area also. I've looked on the websites but while they have Airedale on the list, I'm none the wiser as to whether they do it or not as it says to contact my DN or GP, who said courses are only available for those who are on insulin (but have been very unhelpful with regarding self monitoring and being pro-active).

As I recall it Lisa you asked about "carb counting" courses and you were told they were only for people on insulin ( correct -that's because "carb counting" is a precise technical term, meaning matching carbs needed to cover 1 unit of insulin).
What your nurse failed to tell you was T2 courses are called DESMOND and X-pert. Bradford and Airedale pct has chosen X_pert and is allegedly running courses for 360 T2s per annum. But their emphasis is on South Asian diabetics ( particularly women) because that community is far more susceptible to T2 diabetes than the natives.

 

[Caroline]

I asked my doctor to go on an Xpert course, he had never heard of it. It is not running in my borough yet, but it is running in neighbouring boroughs, but doctor twit is still reluctant to let me do it...

 

[Peter C]

I asked my doctor to go on an Xpert course, he had never heard of it. It is not running in my borough yet, but it is running in neighbouring boroughs, but doctor twit is still reluctant to let me do it...

Hi there,
X-pert is just one of many competing educational courses for t2s - DESMOND, Heidi etc.
Boroughs don't run these courses - pcts do. they can pick whatever course they like to fulfill the Recommendation 1 of the NICE Recommendations I posted above. They don't have to provide the X-pert course in particular, or even know about it, as long as they are providing an educational course for T2s.
Which pct are you in ?

 

[Caroline]

Hi there,
X-pert is just one of many competing educational courses for t2s - DESMOND, Heidi etc.
Boroughs don't run these courses - pcts do. they can pick whatever course they like to fulfill the Recommendation 1 of the NICE Recommendations I posted above. They don't have to provide the X-pert course in particular, or even know about it, as long as they are providing an educational course for T2s.
Which pct are you in ?

I'm part of Greenwich and Bexly PCT, and having asked about a number of things my GP is still reluctant to send me. I did something along the line of DESMOND, and when I saw the DSN (just the once), it was decided I needed something more challenging than that! Sometimes you just can't win, I think it's going to take persistence and a little help from my friends...

 

[Peter C]

I'm part of Greenwich and Bexly PCT, .

the X-pert patient course for Type 2 Diabetics is particularly prevalent across the North of England simply because it originates from Burnley, Lancs., out of the PhD of a Dietitian at Burnley Hospital. So DSNs and Dietitians who are being trained to run the course in their own pcts don't have far to go for their own training courses.
In our pct the DSNs considered both DESMOND and X-pert and opted for X-pert on the basis that it was more pro-active ( they thought DESMOND too traditionally classroom lectures) and more local to us.

 

[Nickiebob89]

Im not sure what x-pert is but i live in Sheffield and i have been offered a place on a course called the Desmond somthing or other?? Not quite sure what it is but ita a full day course.

Im due to go on it on the 3/3/10 ill let ya know what it is about.

NickieBob xx

 

[Peter C]

Im not sure what x-pert is but i live in Sheffield and i have been offered a place on a course called the Desmond somthing or other?? Not quite sure what it is but ita a full day course.

Im due to go on it on the 3/3/10 ill let ya know what it is about.

NickieBob xx

Its a cheap, sawn-off version of the kind of educational course a new T2 should be offered. But it is the best many PCTs can manage.

 

[LisaLQ]

As I recall it Lisa you asked about "carb counting" courses and you were told they were only for people on insulin ( correct -that's because "carb counting" is a precise technical term, meaning matching carbs needed to cover 1 unit of insulin).
What your nurse failed to tell you was T2 courses are called DESMOND and X-pert. Bradford and Airedale pct has chosen X_pert and is allegedly running courses for 360 T2s per annum. But their emphasis is on South Asian diabetics ( particularly women) because that community is far more susceptible to T2 diabetes than the natives.

I asked about ANY courses, they said the only one is the carb counting one. I didnt ask by specific name as I didnt know them then. Either way, the subject was raised, and the answer was the only course was for carb counting, something I dont need yet.

 

[Steff]

Just wanted to say i recently did the x-pert course and completed it and it is the best thing i ever did.I was on the waiting list for about 2 month.It was a preety bad show at my course as 30 where offered a place but only 8 turned up.

 

[Peter C]

I asked about ANY courses, they said the only one is the carb counting one. I didnt ask by specific name as I didnt know them then. Either way, the subject was raised, and the answer was the only course was for carb counting, something I dont need yet.

Sorry Lisa,
I was just remembering your post on 23rd january ....
"I asked about carb counting and was told it is taught at my local hospital but is only offered to those on insulin."

 

[LisaLQ]

I asked a great many questions at my appointment Peter, not all of them were posted on the internet to be searched through in a stalker like fashion, brought back and waved in front of me as a reminder of what I said/did wrong. I'm so glad I have someone like you to correct me at every opportunity - you cant imagine how welcoming it is.

/end sarcasm.

 

[Peter C]

I asked a great many questions at my appointment Peter, not all of them were posted on the internet to be searched through in a stalker like fashion, brought back and waved in front of me as a reminder of what I said/did wrong. I'm so glad I have someone like you to correct me at every opportunity - you cant imagine how welcoming it is.

/end sarcasm.

Hi Lisa,
No I wasn't correcting you . I was apologising - did you miss the word "sorry" at the start of the post ? I just distinctly remember that post about carb counting , nobody is stalking you or telling you have done right or wrong.Chill out.

 

[am64]

....... But their emphasis is on South Asian diabetics ( particularly women) because that community is far more susceptible to T2 diabetes than the natives.

what sort of 'natives ' are they peter ???