More information needed for newly diagnosed diabetics

Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients are being let down by a lack of information about their condition, a new study has found.
The research, published online in the journal Primary Health Care Research and Development, revealed that many people given a recent type 2 diagnosis have to wait months before receiving advice on how to self-manage their diabetes, including what they can and cannot eat.
One patient interviewed by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast said they were told to reduce their blood sugar levels following diagnosis but were not told how to achieve this, while others said the lack of support made them feel like they were “on their own”.
The team concluded that more information needs to be provided to patients during the period between diagnosis and their referral to a diabetes education programme.
Lead researcher Dr Michelle McKinley said: “Patients with type 2 diabetes indicated that there was sometimes a delay between diagnosis and receiving advice about how to self-manage their diabetes.
“It is important that we try to fill this gap with easily accessible information that is specifically designed for people with type-2 diabetes.”