The Landscape of Diabetes Education in Ontario: A Descriptive Overview

BackgroundIn response to the rising prevalence of diabetes in Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) launched the Ontario Diabetes Strategy. The comprehensive 4-year strategy aims to improve diabetes prevention, management and treatment, addressing 2 of Ontario’s top healthcare priorities: 1) improving access to care, and 2) reducing emergency department wait times. The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of most regional MOHLTC-funded programs and services available for Ontarians with diabetes.MethodsLocal Diabetes Education Programs were approached to complete a diabetes service inventory questionnaire, to gather descriptive data regarding service settings, referral processes, staff resources and capacity, the use of electronic medical record, medical directives, program strengths and challenges. The questionnaire was available in both paper-based and electronic formats.ResultsData was available for 9 of the 14 Diabetes Regional Coordinating Centres across Ontario. Of the reporting 107 diabetes education programs, 41% are based in acute care settings, 53% are found in community-based settings, including Family Health Teams and Community Health Centres, with considerable variation in the diabetes complexities addressed and level of care provided. The most common challenges were coordination of services (40%) and communication with other healthcare providers (36%).ConclusionOur findings reflect the current status of most ministry-funded diabetes education programs in the province and have implications for future diabetes regional planning and quality improvement initiatives.