| Project Objectives / Summary:
Diabetes Mellitus is a National Health Priority Area.
The main aim of the project was to address the critical shortage of diabetes educators in rural and remote areas. This would be achieved by collaborating with key stakeholders to design an IM / IT product to provide comprehensive diabetes education. The output of the project was to be a design for "virtual" diabetes educator that could be produced by a future project.
Project Collaboration:
NADC - National Association Diabetes Centres
Mr John Austin - computer software developer
Project Outcomes:
The project proposes the use of electronic technology (CD-ROM & Internet) to deliver "virtual" training. This is because there is a lack of access in rural and remote areas. The project was unable to locate any existing electronic packages that could be simply adapted for rural / remote use and it would be necessary to develop a package to reach the target group of health professionals (GPs etc).
Collaboration with the NADC resulted in the project adopting the recently developed National Curriculum for Diabetes Education for Allied Health Professionals. Advantages included the level of credibility attached to the curriculum and the prospect of it being updated regularly.
The project worked with a Cairns-based software developer to produce an internet tutorial system that catered for real time communication between remote computers, including on screen interaction. The test was undertaken on one curriculum module.
Recommendations:
The project recommended that further funding be provided to:
- assess technical aspects of internet tutorial software, including the software developed to date;
- negotiate with NADC to incorporate their Curriculum into electronic training software; and
- negotiate with a software developer to produce the training software.
Lessons / Assessment:
This was primarily a feasibility study. It showed that there is potential for the form of training proposed to be developed.
|
