Modules
Our modules
We have six online modules, each lasting 10 weeks. These modules can be studied individually or learners can complete three in year one to achieve a Postgraduate Certificate and three in year two to achieve a Postgraduate Diploma.
- Prevention, Early Detection and Screening in Diabetes
- Clinical Presentation and Management in Diabetes
- New and Advanced Therapies in Diabetes
- Self-Management in Diabetes
- Insulin Management
- Diabetes and Obesity
Prevention, Early Detection and Screening in Diabetes
Course Aims
- Develop strategies for health promotion and the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes
- Gain an understanding of the community’s knowledge and attitudes towards diabetes
- Demonstrate an awareness of sources of evidence in prevention, early detection and screening in diabetes
Clinical Presentation and Management in Diabetes
Course Aims
- Gain a sound knowledge of the different metabolic disorders of glucose metabolism, the pathogenesis of these, their clinical characteristics and diagnostic criteria
- Understand the presentation, diagnostic criteria, and classification of diabetes
- Gain knowledge of the aetiology, natural history and clinical characteristics of diabetes mellitus
- Demonstrate ability to give advice and recommendations on the early and ongoing management of people with diabetes within a given clinical role
- Evaluate and develop clinical systems for the prevention, detection and management of complications in diabetes in particular retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular disease.
New and Advanced Therapies in Diabetes Course Aims
Course Aims
- Develop knowledge and skills in the pharmacological and other therapeutic management options of people with diabetes
- Understand available new and advanced therapies
- To be familiar with the sources of information and to critically appraise the clinical and scientific data on emerging therapies in diabetes in the context of a given clinical role
Self-Management in Diabetes Course Aims
Course Aims
- Gain knowledge and skills in lifestyle management options of persons with diabetes
- Demonstrate awareness of the changing guidelines in diabetes care
- Analyse the complementary roles of healthcare professionals, the multi-disciplinary team, and people affected by diabetes and how this impacts on the decisions and process of care
- Gain knowledge and skills in the psychological and behavioural approaches to diabetes care
- Gain skills to evaluate and design techniques for promoting lifestyle management
Insulin Management
Course Aims
- Acquire an overview of insulin initiation in type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- Gain an understanding of the pathophysiology of insulin therapies
- Understand different insulin delivery systems
- To be able to make specific recommendations for the care of people with diabetes who are already on or about to start insulin therapy
Diabetes and Obesity
Course Aims
- Gain an overview of the obesity pandemic and its relationship to the increase in the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes ("Diabesity")
- To provide an understanding of nutrition therapies and the impact upon glycaemic control
- To provide the skills to give advice on the appropriate structure of local services in people with diabetes and obesity
Study, assessment, and progression
To successfully complete one of our individual postgraduate modules learners are required to complete and pass the assessment criteria outlined below. Once a module is achieved learners can then complete further modules to achieve a Postgraduate Certificate or a Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes.
All our Diabetes Qualifications are delivered online, giving learners the flexibility to study around their busy schedules. However, we understand that online learning may be new to some of our learners so we offer two days of introductory lectures to get you started. Attendance at the lectures is strongly recommended as it gives learners an opportunity to be introduced to the online learning platform and to meet the faculty and their classmates. At the lectures, learners discuss the key themes of the Qualifications and participate in small group activities. Learners also receive a demonstration of the online learning platform, and an opportunity to practise the academic skills necessary for contributing to an online course.
When modules commence, learners are divided into groups of 12-13 with a dedicated tutor who is a clinical expert in the field of diabetes. Learners will be assessed continuously as they progress through each module on the following areas:
- Their contribution to online discussions
- Their reflective journal
- 1000 word assignment
- An online examination (MCQs) consisting of a series of case problems
For the online discussion tutors post a weekly case problem to stimulate academic discussion. Tutors will be monitoring learners’ contributions to the discussions and will also evaluate the learning portfolios Learners are recommended to contribute to this discussion three or four times a week. All these areas help learners to think how they apply their new knowledge and skills to their current clinical work.
