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As healthcare systems look for ways to meet growing demand for diabetes care, an Australian program is testing whether more healthcare team members can be trained to provide diabetes education and self-management support.
Researchers at The University of Western Australia developed what they describe as the country’s first diabetes education qualification specifically for allied health professionals. Of the 142 healthcare professionals who enrolled in its first intake, 130 completed the program, a 92% completion rate.
The findings, published in BMC Medical Education, offer an early look at a workforce model designed to expand diabetes expertise across disciplines while addressing another persistent challenge: providing clinical training outside major cities.
“Diabetes care is not delivered by one profession alone,” lead author Dr. Alex Park, of UWA’s Centre for Optimisation of Medicines, said in a statement. “By bringing different health professionals, educators and people living with diabetes into the design of education, we can develop training that is more relevant to the way care is delivered.”
Expanding Diabetes Expertise Across the Healthcare Team
Researchers developed the program with practicing allied health professionals, credentialled diabetes educators, and people living with diabetes, including First Nations representation.
Interest was substantial. The program received 738 expressions of interest from healthcare professionals across Australia. About one-quarter came from professionals outside capital cities, and pharmacists accounted for more than half of those interested.
Participants also remained highly engaged with online learning materials, videos and virtual placement resources, according to the researchers.
The approach reflects how diabetes care is increasingly delivered across multiple professions, community settings and digital services rather than through a single healthcare discipline.
Telehealth Tackled a Training Barrier
One challenge emerged as the program was developed: finding suitable local clinical placements for healthcare professionals in regional and remote communities.
To address that barrier, the program established a centrally coordinated telehealth student clinic, allowing participants to gain clinical experience without relying solely on nearby placements.
Co-author Dr. Joseph Carpini of UWA’s Business School said workforce innovation can require reconsidering both who provides care and how clinicians acquire the expertise to deliver it.
“This is ultimately about building capacity across the health system,” Carpini said. “If we can give more healthcare professionals the knowledge and confidence to support people with diabetes, we have the potential to strengthen care closer to where people live and work.”
What the Findings Do Not Yet Show
The study provides evidence that the educational model attracted interest and achieved a high completion rate. Still, an important question remains unanswered: whether the training changes clinical practice or improves outcomes for people living with diabetes.
Researchers plan to examine how participation influenced professionals’ practice and, ultimately, patient outcomes.
That next step will help determine whether expanding diabetes education across a wider range of healthcare professionals translates into measurable improvements in care.
Researchers say the model could also apply to other areas of healthcare facing growing demand, workforce shortages, and geographic disparities in access to services.
For nurses working on multidisciplinary teams, the study offers an early example of how healthcare systems might address workforce shortages by expanding the skills of professionals already caring for patients.
