Development of a Web portal to assist in diabetes education and self-management

Abstract

A Web portal was developed to assist in diabetes education and self-management. Access to reliable information is an essential component of effective self-care in diabetes. Education was provided as a series of learning objects, aimed at patients with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Where appropriate, material was also provided via multimedia learning tools, such as tutorials and interactive quizzes. Throughout the development of the Web portal, periodic assessment was carried out by an expert patient group. This comprised 10 individuals, four of whom had Type 1 diabetes and two with Type 2. The expert group provided feedback to the health-care professionals involved with content development. There were also regular discussion forums with both patients and health-care staff. The portal was designed to facilitate effective self-management, by providing ongoing support with regular feedback on progress.