Topic 1:
Transforming Diabetes Care in SingHealth
Speaker: Dr Bee Yong Mong
The Singapore Ministry of Health has recently declared war on diabetes. There is a rising prevalence of diabetes within the country and the disease is already costing the country more than $1 billion a year. There are many challenges for diabetes care in the current health system and there is a great need to change care paradigms to more patient-centric model of care.
Within SingHealth, our journey to transform diabetes care started in 2015 through the formation of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Diabetes Centre. This new model of care, organised around the patient’s medical condition, was adopted to bring about better outcomes for our patients. It involves a multi-disciplinary, multi-institution team of healthcare professionals providing the full care cycle for the patient’s condition. The Singapore General Hospital Diabetes and Metabolism Centre was also established in 2015 to serve as a one-stop outpatient centre for patients with diabetes. Thus bringing about greater convenience and better care experiences for our patients. Infrastructure aside, SingHealth is also taking the lead in implementing a slew of initiatives to battle the disease on all fronts.
Topic 2:
Individualisation! – Key to Diabetes Medical Nutrition Therapy
Speaker:
Ms Kala Adaikan
The Government has launched a “war on diabetes”. Medical Nutrition Therapy is an integral part of overall diabetes management. Each person with diabetes should be actively engaged in nutrition education and self-management, which includes the collaborative development of an individualised eating plan. For many individuals with diabetes, the most challenging part of their diabetes treatment plan is deciding what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. Myths and misconceptions surrounding diet and diabetes often result in people making poor care decisions based on incorrect information.
There is not “a one-size-fits-all” approach or eating plan for individuals with diabetes. Nutrition therapy goals should be developed collaboratively with individuals with diabetes and be based on a thorough assessment and analysis of the individual’s current eating pattern, preferences, and metabolic goals and demands. Individualisation is key!
This session will look at current evidence-based diabetes Medical Nutrition Therapy goals and recommendations.
