LDC experts develop new EASD module on structured diabetes education
The Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC), home to internationally recognised leaders in diabetes research, education and innovation, has played a key role in developing a new European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) e‑learning module showcasing the UK’s approach to structured education for people living with type 2 diabetes.
The module was authored by three LDC experts: Professor Melanie Davies, Co-Director of LDC, Dr Michelle Hadjiconstantinou, Behavioural Scientist, and Alison Northern, Implementation Lead, who bring together decades of collaborative work in designing, evaluating and implementing structured education. Their contribution reflects the LDC’s longstanding leadership in transforming education for people with type 2 diabetes through programmes such as DESMOND.
In the new EASD module, Professor Davies highlights the evidence behind structured education, drawing on clinical trials that demonstrate its impact on not just glycaemic control but also treatment satisfaction, wellbeing and quality of life, which are outcomes that matter deeply to people living with type 2 diabetes.
Dr Hadjiconstantinou presents the theoretical foundations that underpin LDC’s programmes, including the Medical Research Council’s complex interventions framework and psychological models such as Social Learning Theory and Self‑Regulation Theory, which explain how people develop self‑efficacy and sustain behaviour change.
Alison Northern shares the practical realities of delivering DESMOND and MyDESMOND at scale, describing how LDC maintains programme fidelity, supports educators, and addresses barriers to attendance through responsive and inclusive programme design.
This latest contribution to EASD’s education portfolio reflects the Leicester Diabetes Centre’s ongoing commitment to improving the lives of people with type 2 diabetes worldwide.
Professor Davies said, “We are delighted to have produced this e‑learning module for EASD. We hope it will give other clinicians the tools to bring structured education into routine diabetes care.”
About DESMOND
DESMOND has been a cornerstone of LDC innovation for over two decades, following its development and piloting in 2003. This was followed with the landmark 2006 DESMOND trial, the largest of its kind worldwide, which recruited 824 people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across 17 primary care trusts and demonstrated that structured education significantly improved knowledge, self‑management and early lifestyle change, forming the evidence base for national NICE recommendations.
Today, DESMOND is delivered by more than 100 organisations across four continents and has supported over 700,000 people worldwide, underpinned by a strong evidence base showing improvements in health beliefs, empowerment and real‑world HbA1c outcomes. Its continued growth is supported through LDC’s robust educator training, international commissioning model and commitment to evidence‑based practice.
Building on this impact, LDC launched MyDESMOND globally in 2018, extending the same evidence‑based curriculum into an accessible digital platform featuring videos, articles, forums, quizzes and activity tracking. Licensed by almost 90 healthcare organisations across the UK and notably the sole digital diabetes education programme of choice in Wales; MyDESMOND continues to grow internationally, with users reporting improved understanding, increased confidence and positive behaviour change.
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