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DESMOND Content Makeover

Listlad

BANNED
Messages
3,971
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
The DESMOND

I have no idea what is in it yet except hearsay on the forum. If what they say is true then it clearly needs a radical makeover. I am going to attempt to get things changed locally by getting inside the system. It might be doomed to failure but it is worth a try.

I have meetings set up next week with this and other plans in mind.

Any advice from those that might have tried it already?
 

Listlad, this is a genuine question. Do you know what DESMOND actually is?
 
DESMOND is the collaborative name for a family of group self management education modules, toolkits and care pathways for people with, or at risk of, Type 2 diabetes.

It is up for scrutiny at local level.
 
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Pipp said:
Who are you meeting, @Listlad ?
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It’s very fluid and embryonic. Without being too specific, local PPG representation covering two surgeries, NHS representation at surgery level and hopefully one very LCHF friendly GP. At the outset.
 
If you are a bit unsure what it is, it could be useful to ask to go on it.

I have never attended any diabetes education courses as a student, but I did attend a DESMOND precis as a researcher.
 
DCUKMod said:
If you are a bit unsure what it is, it could be useful to ask to go on it.

I have never attended any diabetes education courses as a student, but I did attend a DESMOND precis as a researcher.
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Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be allowed as I don’t “qualify”. But it is up for scrutiny locally. It sounds great except for the dietary solutions, from what the word on the street says on the forum.
 
Listlad said:
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be allowed as I don’t “qualify”. But it is up for scrutiny locally. It sounds great except for the dietary solutions, from what the word on the street says on the forum.
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If you do some research you will find the dietary guidelines for DESMOND changed in Spring 2019. I haven't seen the guidelines now in use, so it could be useful not to assume anything. The changes have been available, for educators, for some time now.

I must dig out my log in details and have a look
 

“2019 will see the launch of version 6 of the DESMOND Newly Diagnosed and Foundation curriculum! At DESMOND we pride ourselves on being evidence-based and patient-centred, and recently we have seen some large leaps forward in the world of diabetes and its management. We have already incorporated revisions to our nutritional information based on the latest evidence which was published to all DESMOND Educators in August last year. This year we are carrying out a full review to incorporate a few key changes throughout the curriculum, and we have enlisted the help of some DESMOND sites to do this. Throughout Spring a small number of sites will be providing feedback to us on this review. This feedback will then be incorporated into the new version ready for an Autumn launch.”

https://www.desmond-project.org.uk/desmond-newly-diagnosed-version-6-coming-later-this-year/
 
“If you do some research you will find the dietary guidelines for DESMOND changed in Spring 2019. I haven't seen the guidelines now in use, so it could be useful not to assume anything. The changes have been available, for educators, for some time now.”

So.....I wonder if forum members are seeing the fruits of these changes yet?
 
Desmond. A name that conjures up:

Des O’Connor
Desmond Dekker
Desmond Tutu

 
Got an invite to a DESMOND course through the post this week. The course I would be able to attend is in September. Wasn't sure if it was worth going to as it says there is group participation which I don't care for.
 
ryhopian said:
Got an invite to a DESMOND course through the post this week. The course I would be able to attend is in September. Wasn't sure if it was worth going to as it says there is group participation which I don't care for.
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Reading past forum postings, a common gripe is that in the past and even up till recently, the advice on diet has been woefully inappropriate for T2 diabetics. Ironically tea and cakes are typically served. However by the time you go in September, the newly launched approach in the spring might well have filtered through the system.
 
ryhopian said:
Got an invite to a DESMOND course through the post this week. The course I would be able to attend is in September. Wasn't sure if it was worth going to as it says there is group participation which I don't care for.
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By the way @ryhopian , I will take a note of that point you make and pass it on at my local surgery. Thanks.
 
Personally although we here think the DESMOND course is very wrong but in my opinion it still has its place for those newly diagnosed and maybe scared and floundering.

I did it just under 10 years ago and for me as I'd already found this site and knew about carbs it wasn't that useful, but for the guy who came in carrying a litre bottle of lucazade and told the course leader he was eating a full dish of ordinary jelly a night because the leaflet he'd been given said jelly was ok - it was a revelation- you could see how much he learned. Ok he still went away eating carbs but probably not even a tenth of what he was eating before.

I think with tweaks it still has its place for some as a starting point. As a side note the course leaders were clued up on carbs and tried to incorporate their knowledge without breaking course guidelines and did chat informally with those of us interested in low carbing

And there was no cakes or biscuits just tea coffee and water. We all had to take our own food for lunches and snacks - now that was an eye opener!
 
ryhopian said:
Got an invite to a DESMOND course through the post this week. The course I would be able to attend is in September. Wasn't sure if it was worth going to as it says there is group participation which I don't care for.
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ryhopian - There have been many, many reports and feedback on a variety of diabetes management programmes over the years on the forum, and suffice to say they can be variable.

Some can get a lot from the day, or days, and others feel it to have been a waste of time for them. Some find the advice on diet better than others, due to their locally tailored content. Others find they get a huge amount, just being with other people living with diabetes.

My advice would be not to write something off on anyone else's say-so, especially if they havn't attended. I'd go along and make my own mind up.

Personally, I have never attended a diabetes education course, for myself, but did receive a precise of a DESMOND course, as part of a research project. The dietary content didn't suit me too well, but there were some very interesting elements to what would have been a couple of evenings, had I attended "live".

It's your choice.
 
I always believe that if you even get one thing out of a course then it was worth going on it so I was looking at how I could fit this in my schedule. It states that I will be provided with honest, up to date, evidence based information about the causes, effects and options for managing my diabetes. Read about the causes, know from other family experiences most of the effects but as I am not on any medications and I am sure they will talk about meds, it may be worth going for this info alone. However if they are still promoting carbs and more carbs as they did with my initial screening appointment, I am not sure that will sit well with me. I was told to eat porridge, haven't had porridge for months but as an experiment decided to try it, my bloods went up from 5.4 to 8.5, - guess I am one of those people who cannot handle it.

What is really putting me off is that it says in the leaflet
"The DESMOND programme is built around group activities, but there will be opportunities for individuals to speak to an Educator on their own if they wish."...

I have attended numerous courses over the years before I retired and above all, I hate group activities. They actually spoil the courses for me because I just get so stressed not knowing what will be asked of me. This is because whilst I am arguably, fairly intelligent, I am very slow to react to things (must be my left handed brain) so I end up playing catch up all the time. The stress is very real and evidential. To give an illustration I was once undertaking a 24 hour Blood Pressure test. Doc said "Everything is ok but whatever happened here?" I looked at the graph and at one point there was this very sharp peak to the top of the chart. It turned out it was a group meeting I attended to discuss a new project we were initiating. As I know it will happen as soon as anyone says can you divide into groups, I am not sure it is worth putting myself under so much stress and possibly negatively impacting my blood sugars particularly as I am trying hard to get them down.

It would be nice if there was a course outline available so that I could see the content beforehand and make a more informed choice.
 
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