Majda Mori Lukančič and Nataša Stojnić
Every year on November 14 is World Diabetes Day. Since 1996, the registered nurses (RN) at the Community Health Centre Ljubljana (CHCL) have organised a campaign on this day under the motto given by WHO. There are years when the campaign was organised by educators (members of the Education Group in CHCL), there are years when the RS of the Health Education Centres (HEC) were more active, and in recent years we have traditionally participated. This year, for the first time, we invited the local community - the Diabetic Association of Ljubljana - to participate.
In 2022 we were the organisers of the event, together with CHCL educators, RN from CHCL HEC and the centre SIM. The data obtained in the SCUBY project showed us that both patients and healthcare professionals need knowledge about diabetic foot and that diabetic foot examinations in CHCL are not performed according to the guidelines, neither at the primary nor at the secondary level. Based on the data, we also found that CHCL, as a central health facility in the Slovenian capital, does not collaborate sufficiently with the local community. In 2022, we started to collaborate. On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, the Diabetes Association was provided with the Association Corner, i.e. a room in CHCL where it can hold its activities once a month, once a month it can use the CHCL auditorium where CHCL medical professionals give lectures to people with diabetes, and in 2022 we organised two three-day workshops - in spring on the topic of nutrition and in autumn on the occasion of Diabetes Day on the complications of diabetes and diabetic foot, respectively.
The workshop was held on 11/14, 11/15, and 11/16. The title of the workshop was: prevention of diabetes complications and care of daily quality of life. The workshop was attended by 16 people, which is the optimal number for a successful workshop, and attendance was 100% on all three days. The first day was theoretical, the second day was a review of the theory with a discussion, and the third day was practical - an exercise at the SIM centre.
Participants submitted an evaluation form. The workshop was tested on the occasion of World Diabetes Day 2022. After data analysis, we will propose to conduct this workshop at CHCL once a year or once a month to systematically track participants and refresh the knowledge of both people with diabetes and CHCL healthcare staff about the complications of diabetes.
CHCL's PR department also actively participated in promoting the day by informing staff about the activities prior to the day and producing a video clip for social media on the day itself, again highlighting the trained staff who support people with diabetes at CHCL.