5. Drive policy & healthcare systems change
People with diabetes and those at risk of developing diabetes must have the necessary opportunities for healthy living, adequate healthcare services, and treatments to achieve optimum health and quality of life. In diabetes management guidelines, treatment approaches and resource provision, the psychosocial needs of people with the condition must be approached with the same degree of urgency as that relating to their treatment needs. Governments and healthcare systems must be lobbied to adopt the chronic care model developed by WHO.
Examples of policy and healthcare systems change:
National changing diabetes program
Novo Nordisk US working with partner organizations to change how diabetes is viewed and managed in the United States.
Global Guideline for Type 2 Diabetes
The new global IDF Guideline for type 2 diabetes includes a section devoted to psychosocial care. International DAWN consensus meetings hosted by PSAD and IDF in 2004 and 2005 contributed to these guidelines and helped create strategies to implement the guidelines nationally.
