Quels sont les bénéfices d'un cours d'éducation au diabète, pour le patient et pour le médecin ?

Therapeutic education is essential in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. It contributes to the management of the various therapeutic dimensions which became increasingly more complex with the need to treat all cardiovascular factors. It can also improve the partnership between patients and health professionals as the patient become a proactive partner able to understand the sense of the treatment. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of an ambulatory educational teaching course on the knowledge, know-how, control of the cardiovascular risk factors as well as on the therapeutic relation between the physician and his diabetic patient (n=131 patients). The double design, prospective and retrospective, has shown a significant reduction in HbA1c level and lipid profile which persists during for more than 18 months. On average, 90% of the patients affirm to have experienced improvements in their diabetes' management and in the quality of dialogue with their physician. This study confirms the key role of therapeutic education. Therapeutic education contributes to give significance to the diabetes treatment which is becoming increasingly more complex. The patient can be an active partner and thus might contribute to reduce the therapeutic inertia frequently associated with chronic metabolic diseases.