Can a face-to-face training programme be converted to a remote format at pace in challenging times? An evaluation of the remote DAFNE educator programme

ABSTRACT

Background: The DAFNE Educator Programme (DEP) is a training programme for diabetes specialist nurses and diabetes specialist dietitians, training them to deliver structured education to people living with type 1 diabetes and includes face-face training elements. The restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic have impacted on face-to- face training programmes, so a Remote DEP has been developed. Aims: To provide a Remote DEP that is accessible to both existing educators and new trainees within the pandemic restrictions, maintain confidence in the quality of the programme and enable diabetes specialist teams to continue to provide DAFNE structured education to people living with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Existing educators took part in a half-day virtual workshop. For new educators a Remote DEP was developed in partnership with The Open University. Remote educator training programmes were piloted and evaluated between June and December 2020 and rolled out post-pilot. Results: Most DAFNE centres in the UK, 82 out of 92 (89%) now have educators trained in the delivery of Remote DAFNE. Two thirds, 215 of 323 (66.6%), were previously trained in face-to- face DAFNE courses. One third, 108 of 323 (33.3%) were new educators who learnt via a blended approach of online and remote workshops, and were assessed in a virtual environment, 81% said the training programme was excellent, 19% rated it as good, and 86% rated the assessment feedback as excellent. Conclusions: The Remote DAFNE Educator Programme is an effective way of training diabetes specialist team members to deliver Remote DAFNE courses within the restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic.