GPSI Diabetes is a Teaching Service
The only diabetes service offering patient centered care in New Zealand
GPSI Diabetes is dedicated to teaching and training other providers not just in the skills of managing the disease of diabetes but also in the skills of providing patient centered care.
At GPSI Diabetes we believe that every provider within a medical setting should have a good understanding and knowledge of diabetes. Diabetes is epidemic which means that no matter what your area of expertise is, you will regularly be in contact with and/or overseeing the management of someone with diabetes.
If you, as a provider, are going to be responsible for ensuring each patient acquires a sufficient understanding of their disease and its management options, then you need to be well grounded in the pathophysiology of all types of diabetes (not just type 1 and type 2), and have a good understanding of all the management options available.

Education is provided in a number of different formats
The core curriculum requires a total of 6 contact hours. These can be delivered in a number of different formats to meet your needs.
The most popular arrangement is to have 2 hour sessions once a week for 3 weeks.
However, the course can be just as effectively delivered in a 6 hour seminar in one day.

Course content
Session 1 (first 2 hours):
Introduction:
Fostering patients self-management for diabetes
Principles of Patient Centred Care
Can be applied to all chronic disease management
Basic knowledge and skills of diabetes management
Pathophysiology of diabetes
Different types of diabetes
Red flags for a person not being type 1 or type 2
How do you determine what type of diabetes a person has?
Use of blood tests (antibodies, C-peptide) to clarrify diagnosis
Other information that can help to determine type
Making the diagnosis of diabetes (HbA1c, oGTT, FBG)
Diagnostic criteria for diabetes
Determining target HbA1c - individualisation of the target
Oral medications
When to introduce
How to escalate
Session 2 (second 2 hours):
Insulins
Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics
U-300, U-500
Insulin mixes
Gold standard management
When to introduce a basal insulin
How to calculate starting dose
How to escalate a basal insulin
When to introduce a bolus insulin
Calculating starting bolus dose
Calculating correction factors –
How to teach a correction factor
The three hour rule
Rule of thirds
The basics of Carb counting
Ratios of Basal to Bolus insulin
Empowering the patient to do their own self-monitoring and their own insulin dose adjustments
Review of insulin delivery equipment (insulin pens, glucose meters, insulin pumps)
How do you manage an insulin pump when someone presents acutely unwell.
Session 3 (final 2 hours):
Defining “remission” of diabetes
Foods
How different foods affect blood sugars differently
The effects of alcohol on blood sugars
The endocrinology behind weight gain
CV Risk
A patient centred approach to CV risk management
Smoking cessation
Hypertension
Cholesterol
Obesity
Other preventative care
Dental
Retinal screening
Contraception/pregnancy planning
Flu shot
Erectile dysfunction

This Manual is written specifically to accompany the course. It contains copies of the patient handouts and is a great resource for any provider
