Diabetes and oral health (DiabOH) : an interdisciplinary educational program for the management of diabetes and oral health : a pilot study

Context: Diabetes and oral disease are becoming increasingly prevalent in Australia and share a bidirectional relationship. Despite this, collaboration between the medical and dental professions and their knowledge is limited. Interdisciplinary education on diabetes and oral health management is lacking. Objective: To pilot and evaluate a diabetes and oral health educational program, DiabOH, for general practitioners (GPs), primary health care nurses (PHCNs) including diabetes educators (DEs), community pharmacists (CPs) and oral health practitioners (OHPs). Design: Mixed methods pre-post design. The DiabOH program is a three-hour face-to-face workshop sandwiched between a 20-minute online module and a 10-minute online refresher module six months after. Pre- and post-impact and process evaluations are conducted online for the three components. Quantitative data will report on participants' self-reported knowledge and confidence, and the appropriateness of the program components. Qualitative data will explore the acceptability and implementation of the program, and the barriers and facilitators for healthcare professionals in participating. Setting: Melbourne, Australia. Participants: GPs, PHCNs, DEs, CPs and OHPs. Findings: Recruitment and data collection are underway. Results will be available for presentation by July 2019. Implication(s) for practice: This program could improve clinical competency of healthcare professionals and facilitate greater communication and interprofessional collaboration to ensure better care and improve quality of life of patients with diabetes or at risk of diabetes. Evaluation of the program will add to research into health professional education and continuing professional development and inform the development of interdisciplinary training for other disciplines, not limited to health or disease.