New Techniques for Changing Compliance in Diabetes

The low compliance by diabetic patients to professional recommendations is a major therapeutic challenge today. Patient education programs have been promoted as a remedy,¹ but those developed to date need careful evaluation to see if they change health behavior. The knowledge-action gap has been well demonstrated in a number of chronic disorders.² The early evaluation of our program in Sydney indicates that the educational intervention does change health behavior, especially in the difficult area of dietary compliance.³ This paper describes the evolution and the essential characteristics of the program. On completing the course, the diabetic patient is encouraged to use the home measurement of blood glucose by Eyetone meter to continue self-evaluation of control and monitor the effect of his compliance.