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Table 1 Summary of literature review of best practice in diabetes patient education (n = 4)

From: Patient education program for Brazilians living with diabetes and prediabetes: findings from a development study

Guidelines (author, year)

Characteristics of those delivering the intervention

Characteristics of the recipients

The setting

Mode of delivery

The intensity

The duration

Adherence to delivery protocols

Intervention content

Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2013 [52]

Any healthcare professional.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Do not specify the number of sessions but mention that it should be continuous and start at the first consultation.

Not provided.

Specific to foot care (ulcers).

Brazilian Society of Diabetes, 2014 [1]

Any healthcare professional, but it should include a qualified diabetes educator.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Physical space and features include the following:

- privacy and confidentiality

- comfortable seats, lighting, and air quality

- safe environment (free from any dangers)

- waiting rooms and toilets should be provided

- accessibility for people with physical disabilities

- teaching tools, communication technology and the proper equipment to support the multi-professional team must be available and include the following:

- adequate audiovisual resources

- telephone and fax services

- office supplies and equipment

- record-keeping system

- computer and internet access

Not provided.

Do not specify the number of sessions but mention that it should be continuous for better results.

Not provided.

- Eat healthily

- Practice regular physical activity

- Check insulin levels

- Take medications

- Solve problems

- Reduce risk factors

- Adapt life in a healthy way.

Brazilian Society of Diabetes, 2019–2020 [53]

Healthcare providers and teams qualified in diabetes education: doctors, physical educators, dietitians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, and dentists.

Children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes

Not provided.

Activities in groups, workshops, and lectures.

Nutritional orientation groups.

Dialogical, reflexive, and critical perspectives can be an effective instrument for the formation of critical knowledge.

Group dynamics, personal experiences, games, forums, and webpages.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Not provided.

The five behavior change stages of the Transtheoretical Model proposed by Prochaska: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

Eating plan, adequate physical exercise, self-care practices to reduce risk factors, motivating techniques to live with diabetes.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recommends that the following areas of knowledge should be reviewed and/or advised before patient discharge (if applicable):

- identify the team that will continue the post-discharge patient follow-up

- diagnosis, self-monitoring and glycemic goals

- definition, recognition, treatment, and prevention of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia

- nutritional habits

- diabetes medicines: when and how (oral and injectable)

- management of diabetes in the days of undercurrent illnesses

- proper use and handling of needles and syringes.

Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias do SUS (CONITEC), 2018 [54]

Multidisciplinary health team having diabetes education experience.

Type 1 diabetes education should be carried out by a specialist physician (endocrinologist) and a multidisciplinary health team.

Type 1 diabetes and parents.

The educational program needs to be compatible with the level of cognitive development and adapted to the intellectual capacity of the child, adolescent, and family members.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Not provided.

Focus on self-management and should include the following educational topics:

- healthy eating

- carbohydrate counting

- exercise

- identification and treatment of hypoglycemia

- insulin administration

- intensive insulin therapy

- tracking complications