[PEDIAB'AIDE: A pediatric diabetes training tool for the pharmacy team].

Abstract

Introduction: In 2023, type 1 diabetes (T1DM) affected more than 31,000 young people under the age of 20 in France, with the number of new cases rising every year. The onset of the disease is acute and abrupt in children, sometimes leading to diagnosis after ketoacidosis and a stay in a pediatric intensive care unit. Healthcare professionals must be trained to diagnose the disease as soon as the first signs appear. What's more, once the diagnosis has been made, a great deal of information needs to be assimilated by the child and his or her parents, to help them cope with the disease. As the dispensing pharmacist is at the heart of the patient's health, it is vital that his or her knowledge is regularly updated.

Materials and methods: The working group consisted of a pharmacy student, a hospital pharmacist and a pediatric endocrinologist. The aim was to create an e-learning program on diabetes in children, a fun learning document aimed at health students and health professionals for their continuing education. It was to contain information and best practices in line with the most common first discharge practices for newly-diagnosed diabetic children. The tool was offered to pharmacy students in order to assess the improvement in knowledge via a questionnaire before and after using it, using a Wilcoxon statistical test. They were also asked to complete a satisfaction questionnaire.

Results: The tool produced is called PEDIAB'AIDE, in the form of a pdf file with links to navigate between the various slides. The tool details two prescriptions for newly-diagnosed T1DM patients: one case with a pump, the other with pen injections. The tool comprises 40 slides, diagnostic information and advice associated with the patients' discharge prescriptions. A total of 26 DFASP1 students completed the evaluation questionnaire before and after using the tool. Students' marks improved significantly, with an initial average of 13.8/20 and a final average of 16.3/20 (P<0.001). Students found the tool simple (100%), clear (100%) and appreciated its visual appeal (92%). One hundred percent appreciated its use, and 96% thought it could help train healthcare professionals. The positive elements highlighted by the students were the intuitive nature of the tool, the real-life counter situation and the explanations. They also highlighted a few areas for improvement, notably the addition of summary sheets, and access to the tool without an Internet connection.

Discussion and conclusion: Delayed diagnosis of T1DM in children can have major consequences for their subsequent care. This tool helps to improve the knowledge of pharmacy students. It remains to be tested with pharmacists and disseminated further.