Back ground: Hospital inpatient care for children with diabetes is frequently mentioned by parents as unsatisfactory, mostly due to lack of knowledge amongst the healthcare staff.
Aim: To evaluate the effect of a short educational workshop for hospital personal (junior pediatric physicians and nurses) on their knowledge and confidence in treating diabetes patients in the pediatric departments.
Methods: The pediatric diabetes team designed a short educational workshop regarding management of diabetes mellitus among in-patients. Diabetes specialists delivered the education program to 73 healthcare professionals (qualified nurses and junior doctors). Participants completed a multiple choice questionnaire before, immediately after and 3 months after the education intervention to evaluate acquisition of knowledge and confidence. Knowledge was assessed by 22 multiple question exam. Confidence was evaluated using 10 categorical questions, ranged 1-5.
Results: Healthcare professional population included 21 physicians and 52 nurses. There was a significant improvement in the median knowledge score from pre-workshop to immediate post- workshop score (60 (IQR=47-67) vs. 81 (IQR=69-81), p<0.001), and 3 month post workshop, 69 (IQR=63-81), P<0.001. The 3 months achievement was lower than the immediate post-work shop grade (P=0.026). The median confidence score also improved significantly from 1.8 (IQR=1.6-2) to 2.4 (IQR=2.1-2.6), P<0.001 immediate post- workshop and 2.2 (IQR=2-2.6) 3 month post workshop.
Conclusions: A short educational tool regarding diabetes mellitus management improved pediatric hospital inpatient care personal knowledge and confidence.
