Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by a defect in the production of insulin and for which there is no cure. People with the disease must learn to control it and keep their sugar levels as close to normal as possible. This control can help them to prevent complications involving the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. For this reason, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona has been carrying out therapeutic education programs for 20 years for patients with diabetes. The aim is to teach these patients the measures they need to take in their everyday lives in order to take care of themselves and how to implement them.
Coinciding with this anniversary, Hospital Clínic organized a conference to discuss the status of the education programs on diabetes and explain what is currently being done to improve the quality of life of these patients. The conference took place on Friday, 8 May in the Farreras Valentí room and was attended by Dr. Raimon Belenes, CEO of Hospital Clínic; Dr. Enric Esmatjes, an endocrinologist from the hospital’s diabetes unit; Dr. Ramon Gomis, director of IDIBAPS; Dr. Conxa Castell, head of the health care education and health care programs service of the Catalan Government Department of Health; Ms. Montserrat Soley, chairwoman of the Association of Diabetics of Catalonia; and Dr. José Manuel Boavida, chairman of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.