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Adults with type 1 diabetes

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DAFNE stands for Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating

DAFNE is a comprehensive diabetes education program for adults with type 1 diabetes. In Australia, we call it OzDAFNE. People attend the program in groups of 6 to 8, and together you learn the skills to work out how much insulin you need for the amount of carbohydrate in the food you want to eat.

The program covers carbohydrate counting and adjusting insulin doses, as well as how to manage physical activity, illness and hypoglycaemia.
This allows more freedom in your lifestyle at the same time as improving your diabetes control.

What is OzDAFNE?

The OzDAFNE program covers three main areas:

1. Carbohydrate counting

This section teaches you how to estimate the amount of carbohydrate in the food you want to eat and then match this with an appropriate insulin dose. There are practical exercises using real food, photographs of food, food models and food packets that allow you to practise what you have learned. The nutrition topics also include snacks, recipes, eating out, alcohol, healthy eating and sweeteners.

2. Insulin dose adjustment

OzDAFNE teaches you how to check if your basal insulin dose is correct, and how to adjust your bolus insulin dose to match the amount of carbohydrate in the food you want to eat at each meal.

You will be asked to check and record your glucose levels before each main meal and before bed.

3. Other topics

The program also covers other topics like managing hypoglycaemia, physical activity, illness, diabetes complications, diabetes technology, travel, and goal setting. This makes it a truly comprehensive type 1 diabetes self-management program.

To see what the program involves in action, check out the video at the top of the page featuring OzDAFNE participants.

What is involved?

Program formats

OzDAFNE is a program for people with type 1 diabetes using insulin pens. It is available in the following formats (Please note, not all formats may be available at all OzDAFNE centres).

  • 1 week program (in person) – runs Monday to Friday for one week, from 9 am to 5 pm each day.
  • 5×1 program (in person) – runs one day a week for 5 weeks in a row, from 9 am to 5 pm each day.
  • OzDAFNE@home (online) – runs over 6 weeks with online lessons and weekly half-day online group meetings.

There is no OzDAFNE program available for people using insulin pumps at this time.
We are working to develop an OzDAFNE pump program which is suitable for people using the current pump technology.

About the program

To get the most out of the OzDAFNE program, you will need to attend all sessions. You may need to take time off work, study, or other commitments. We can give you a letter for your employer that explains the OzDAFNE program and its benefits for your health. This may help you get time off work to attend the program.

The cost to attend an OzDAFNE program varies between locations. This is because there are different funding levels and running costs at each OzDAFNE centre. Please contact your local OzDAFNE centre directly to find out how much their programs cost.

Before the program

Before the program starts, you will need to attend a 1.5-hour appointment with the OzDAFNE Facilitator running the program. At the appointment, we will give you more information and talk about any changes you may need to make before the program begins. We will ask you to, fill in a few questionnaires, and answer some questions about your diabetes management and your general health. All information that is collected about you will be kept confidential and securely filed to meet legal requirements. It will only be passed on to your endocrinologist, doctor, or other members of your diabetes care team if you give us permission to do so.

Before the program starts, we will ask your endocrinologist or treating doctor to complete a form giving their approval for you to attend the program and make insulin dose adjustments. Therefore, it is important that you have talked to them about your interest in OzDAFNE. Your doctor can contact their local OzDAFNE centre or the OzDAFNE Project Officer for more information about the program.

After the program

There are also review sessions for your group after you have finished the OzDAFNE program. Review sessions last for about 3 to 4 hours and are a good way to catch up with your group members. You can talk about any improvements or issues that you have had since the program finished. Review sessions are held at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after your program. We will look at your diabetes management and general health again at the 12-month review session. By looking at your pre-program and 12-month information, we will be able to see the difference that OzDAFNE has made to your diabetes management.

Is OzDAFNE for me?

The OzDAFNE program may not be right for all people with type 1 diabetes. Below is a list of criteria that may help you decide if OzDAFNE is right for you. We also suggest that you talk to your endocrinologist or treating doctor about your interest in the program.

To attend OzDAFNE, you need to:

  • Have type 1 diabetes
  • Be 18 years or older
  • Be using multiple daily injections of insulin
  • Be willing to check and record your glucose levels four or five times a day
  • Be prepared to adjust your own insulin according to what you eat, your glucose levels, and other factors (for example, physical activity)
  • Be able to attend the complete program
  • Be able to speak, understand and read English

We will need some information about your current diabetes management and your general health, including:

  • Your latest HbA1c result
  • Any diabetes complications you have
  • Whether you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
  • The contact details for your endocrinologist or treating doctor. We will ask them for your medical history, and their consent for insulin dose adjustment.

If you have any questions about whether the OzDAFNE program would be suitable for you or would like to book into a program, please contact your local OzDAFNE centre or the OzDAFNE Project Officer.

Does OzDAFNE work?

The DAFNE program has now been evaluated in several countries. Participants have seen improvements in a variety of key diabetes management areas. The following benefits have been shown in both Australia and the United Kingdom:

  • Improved HbA1c (blood glucose control)
  • Reduced diabetes distress, depression and anxiety symptoms
  • Increased dietary freedom
  • No weight gain
  • No increase in blood fats
  • Australian studies of OzDAFNE have found that severe hypoglycaemia has been reduced).

Feedback from participants

Over 4000 people have completed an OzDAFNE program in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. We collect feedback from all of our participants, as we love to hear what they have to say.

Here are some comments from participants who have completed the program recently:

“This everything I wish I was taught when I left the children’s hospital. I feel empowered, supported and validated.”

“I feel so confident to make changes and already feel a new lease on life”

In this video, some of our OzDAFNE @home participants tell us about their experiences with the program

 

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