Free insulin safety training e-leaning module launched
NHS trusts and Primary Care Networks are being urged to roll out a new online insulin safety course which has been launched with the aim of reducing insulin error by providing free education to healthcare professionals.
According to the results from the latest National Diabetes Inpatient Audit1, two in five people with diabetes on insulin (40 per cent) experience an error related to the administration of the drug while in hospital, with errors also reported in the community setting.
In response, Trend Diabetes has launched the ‘Insulin Safety: Getting it Right’ e-learning module, which is free to access for all hospital and community trusts including Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
It can be deployed onto an organisation’s own electronic learning management system (LMS) and is SCORM compliant, which stands for Shareable Content Object Reference Model, which means it meets technical standards for eLearning software products.
Learner assessments are included within the module, and the module will also be updated as new information is released.
Trend Diabetes is an organisation with more than 12,000 members that represents all diabetes nursing groups and is led by Co-Chairs Debbie Hicks and June James, who are both highly experienced Diabetes Nurse Consultants working in the NHS.
June authored the NHS Diabetes insulin safety e-learning module launched in 2010, which saw more than 200,000 people take part.
She said: “As an organisation dedicated to diabetes nursing, we are passionate about high-quality care and reducing insulin errors. We are proud to offer this e-learning module as part of our commitment to improving access to high-quality diabetes education.”
Debbie added: “Insulin is a life-saving drug but can be lethal if not used correctly and safely. Insulin needs to be respected, unfortunately insulin errors still happen. Healthcare professionals need to be fully educated about insulin safety in a bid to help eradicate unnecessary errors. We, therefore, urge all NHS trusts to download and implement this free online course.”
Insulin is a high-risk medication in the UK and worldwide. The development of over 30 different insulin products and a variety of devices has led to confusion among both people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals.
NHS Improvement identifies moderate to severe harm or death caused by insulin error. In the last decade attempts have been made to upskill people with diabetes and healthcare professionals (NHS Digital 2018) with varying levels of success.
This Trend Diabetes e-learning module will provide NHS trusts with a free and viable way of incorporating insulin safety training into their electronic learning management systems.
To access the e-learning module, click here: https://trend-uk.org/insulinsafetyelearning/.
