Enhancing the capacity of the health workforce to deliver best practice diabetes care
Giuliana Murfet
A J * , Ashley H Ng B , Virginia Hagger C D , Susan Davidson E , Grace Ward F , Brett Fenton G and Bodil Rasmussen D H I
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
B Department of Dietetics, Human Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.
C School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic., Australia.
D Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
E Australian Diabetes Educators Association, Chifley, ACT, Australia.
F Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement, Diabetes Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
G Diabetes Services, Central Coast Local Health District, Gosford, NSW, Australia.
H Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, DK-1017 Copenhagen, Denmark.
I Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark.
J Present address: Diabetes Centre, Tasmanian Health Service, Burnie, Tas. 7250, Australia.
* Correspondence to: giuliana.murfet@ths.tas.gov.au
Australian Health Review 46(4) 496-500 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH22040
Submitted: 25 February 2022 Accepted: 15 June 2022 Published: 19 July 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Diabetes prevalence is increasing; the technologies and medicines used to manage diabetes have become more complex, and the specialist health workforce with qualifications in diabetes is insufficient. Generalist health professionals have limited diabetes knowledge, despite engaging with people with diabetes in healthcare daily. An innovative framework is needed to align with the Australian National Diabetes Strategy to build a competent, flexible and adaptive workforce to promote excellence in diabetes care. A three-staged modified Delphi technique was used to identify a consensus Capability Framework for Diabetes Care (the ‘Framework’). An implementation phase followed, involving representation from people with diabetes and key health professional organisations to co-design and implement the ‘Framework’. The ‘Framework’ can guide curricula at universities and TAFE institutes, and the professional development and practice of Australian nurses, allied health professionals, First Nations Australians health workers and practitioners, pharmacists, midwives and health assistants when delivering care to people living with diabetes. The ‘Framework’ defines nine core capabilities that healthcare providers require to deliver diabetes care effectively, underpinned by three sets of attributes for seven practice levels to enable the workforce. Information within the practice levels provides a nationally consistent approach to learning and training different healthcare providers in the essential elements of diabetes care. A ‘living’ evidence-based national ‘Framework’ for the whole health workforce and associated online resources will help promote a more responsive health workforce delivering better and more equitable diabetes care.
Keywords: capability framework, capacity-building, credentialled diabetes educators, diabetes, diabetes capabilities, diabetes educator, diabetes policy, diabetes strategy, health workforce, university curriculum.
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