GSD for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
Why does it work?
In chronic care, patients shared decision making between patients and providers is considered necessary for the accomplishment of empowerment.
Yet, patients might not be interested in letting, or inclined to let, professionals gain insight into their decisions because they are used to a compliance approach (i.e. being told what to do) and might resist professionals and even do the opposite of their recommendations.
Some might also have unrealistic expectations about clinicians’ ability to know what is best for them, whereas others are likely to have reduced expectations of being listened to.
How does it work?
Empowerment and related traditions such as patient / person-centered care and self-determination recommend that professionals invite the owner of a problem to participate in decision making and problem solving, instead of just asking him or her to comply with decisions made by professionals.
The previous research indicates the need for comprehensive changes focusing on the following four strategies:
Replacing a disease-oriented approach with a combined disease-life approach,
Using precise invitations in communication to reduce the time needed for agreeing on difficulties not yet being successfully managed by the patient in living with the illness,
Reflecting on these difficulties and moving to situational reflection at a mutual level to achieve a shared understanding of the patient’s decision making regarding the difficulties, and
Challenging patients to adopt independent reflection as a way of clarifying values and reconsidering the foundation for their decision making.
“Today I had three clients with issues around food, weight, body image and poor diabetes control. Reflecting on the way I worked with these women was really interesting. For all of them, I have used many of the principles from the six GSD conversations.
Getting them to identify and build on things around their attitude to food
Breaking things down
Coming up with simple things they can reflect on and make changes to.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this project. It has definitely changed my approach to working with clients with diabetes.”
How does it look?
The Guided Self-Determination (GSD) T1D program is structured around a series of seven conversations and one handover session between the person living with diabetes and their diabetes educator.
Each conversation will be accompanied by a set of reflective activities (three of more) that the client will complete either in collaboration with their educator or individually.
Each conversation contains very short video (like the one below) and a few interactive activities.
Click to play a 15-sec video to see one activity “sheet” in action
Guided Self-Determination: A professional development program for diabetes educators
Program details
3-4 hours of pre-learning online
One 6-hour workshop facilitated by the GSD team via Zoom
Meet two of your own clients online to facilitate 4 - 6 GSD conversations with each of them over a 2-6 month time period. Each conversation usually lasts 15-45 minutes.
A 1-2 hour online assessment to obtain CPD points from this ADEA endorsed course.
Outcomes
You will gain advanced communication skills, recognition as a Guided Self-Determination Practitioner and the opportunity to use your knowledge and experience to mentor others in the subsequent programs.