DAFNE is delivered to groups of 6-8 participants over 5-days by diabetes specialist nurses and dietitians, that have themselves received additional training on the DAFNE approach.
During the DAFNE course participants learn:
| • | How they react to the insulin they take. | |
| • | Understand what carbohydrates are and how to estimate the carbohydrate content of different foods. | |
| • | Determine the amount of insulin they require to cover the amount of carbohydrate in the food they are about to eat. |
The DAFNE course can be divided into 3 main areas:
| • | Nutrition topics. | |
| • | Insulin dose adjustment at mealtimes and special circumstances (exercise, illness). | |
| • | Other topics, such as what is diabetes, hypoglycaemia, annual review, sick-day rules and pregnancy. |
Participants receive a course handbook to take home
along with a Carbohydrate Portion booklet.
DAFNE encourages participants to gain greater independence and confidence
through sharing their knowledge and experiences with others living with
Type 1 diabetes.
The ‘What is DAFNE?’ document available as a free download
from this website provides more details of the DAFNE course.
Structured Follow-up
In order to maintain their newly acquired skills, participants
are advised to attend regular structured follow-up sessions.
The first (initial) follow-up session is usually arranged within 8 weeks of course completion. This usually lasts between 2 and 2½ hours.
Participants will then be invited to attend regular (every 12 months or so) structured ‘top-up’ sessions which will also include a review clinic. These sessions will last between 3 and 3½ hours.
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