Our MISSION
Our mission is to design, deliver and embed world-leading evidence-based education and support for people with or at risk of type 2 diabetes, and other long-term conditions.
We pride ourselves on offering a world-class range of face-to-face and virtual group-based and digital programmes to support self-management for people who are at risk of developing or currently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and other long-term conditions. As well as, an exceptional standard of training and quality assurance for Educators who train with us to deliver our programmes. We put patients at the centre of everything we design and deliver, through continual service evaluation and development, ensuring our programmes are based on the latest evidence. Here at DESMOND we are known for our unique non-didactic, interactive delivery style and the strong philosophical underpinning that is paramount to the success of our programmes.
Our Vision
Our vision is to take healthcare self-management education to the next level.
As part of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, we strive to set the bar nationally and internationally for group-based and digital healthcare education in the management and prevention of diabetes and other long-term conditions; remaining at the forefront in this arena. Ultimately, with self-management and empowerment principles at our core, giving all people with and at risk of type 2 diabetes and other long-term conditions the best foundation possible for their future health.
Our evidence
Here at DESMOND and the Leicester Diabetes Centre we pride ourselves on our ever-growing, strong evidence-base. Click on the link below to take a look at our library of evidence covering our whole product range.
Our Story
Back in 2003 a collaborative of clinicians (Consultant Endocrinologists, Psychologists, Dietitians, and Diabetes Specialist Nurses) and people with type 2 diabetes from across the UK came together to begin the development of a national education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes; this included, most importantly, the development of an agreed philosophy and set of adult learning theories to provide the core for any future developments.
A pilot (1) of an agreed curriculum began and the DESMOND Newly Diagnosed module ‘was born’. Following a successful pilot and further refinement of the curriculum, a large-scale randomised controlled trial started across the UK. This trial (2) is still one of the largest of its kind for diabetes education, recruiting 824 participants from across 17 primary care trusts.
2006 saw the national roll-out of the DESMOND Newly Diagnosed module as well as the Foundation module for those with established type 2 diabetes. Since then, our offer has gone from strength to strength, with the introduction of our Walking Away from Diabetes module and Let’s Prevent Diabetes modules for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In 2018, following a rigorous development process, DESMOND went digital with the introduction of MyDESMOND: our online platform for health education, available across the UK to all licensed DESMOND providers – please visit www.mydesmond.com for more information.
To date, the DESMOND Head Office is located and ran by the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) under the executive direction of Professor Melanie Davies and Professor Kamlesh Khunti. To find out more about the world-leading work of the LDC, please visit www.leicesterdiabetescentre.org.uk
References
Skinner TC, Carey ME, Cradock S, Daly H, Davies MJ, Doherty Y et al. Diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND): Process modelling of pilot study. Patient Educ Couns 2006; 64: 369–377.
Davies MJ, Heller S, Skinner TC, Campbell MJ, Carey ME, Cradock S et al. Effectiveness of the diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) programme for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: Cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2008; 336: 491–495.
Hadjiconstantinou M, Schreder S, Brough C, Northern A, Stribling B, Khunti K, Davies MJ. Using intervention mapping to develop a digital self-management programme for people with type 2 diabetes: MyDESMOND. J Med Internet Res 2020;22(5):e17316).
OUR ANNUAL highlights REPORT
Select below for the DESMOND annual highlight reports detailing our work across the UK and Ireland.