HMC holds workshop for diabetics educators

The National Diabetes Center at Hamad General Hospital (HGH), in collaboration with Qatar University’s (QU) Public Health Department, recently organized a workshop for health educators. Thirty educators from across HMC’s hospitals, as well as diabetes educators from the Primary Health Care Corporation and Qatar Diabetes Association, participated in the workshop.

Organized under the title “Behavior Change Theories and their Application in the Health Education of Diabetics,” the main objective of the workshop was to strengthen the existing academic knowledge of health educators. The workshop featured presentations about the latest theories and models on behavioral interventions to support patients living with diabetes. Ms. ManalMusallam, Director of Diabetes Education at the National Diabetes Center at HGH, said the workshop was a follow up to the recently held First Qatar International Endocrinology Conference, and reiterates the importance of the partnership between HMC and QU.

Dr. Ghadeer Al-Jayousi, Public Health Professor from QU’s Faculty of Sciences, introduced participants to theories currently being used to change the behaviors of diabetics in Kuwait. Dr. Al-Jayousi demonstrated the effectiveness of the behavioral interventions using a film showing the real-life experiences of patients. He stressed the importance of behavioral theories in understanding the factors affecting patients’ health.