DWELL

More than €1.9 million (£1.6 million) of European funding (from the European Regional Development Fund) was secured by this cross-border partnership to develop a pan-European approach to tackling Type 2 diabetes.

Called DWELL (Diabetes and WELLbeing) this initiative involved eight partners from the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and France (see below for partner details).

Results & presentations

Click here to see the results and reports from DWELL.

Executive summary

A total of 593 people with type 2 diabetes took part in the evaluation study of the DWELL programme, across four countries and five sites. Significant positive changes for DWELL programme participants were evidenced from the analysis of participant outcomes of evaluation study. These changes were sustained at 6 and 12 months after the end of the programme. Statistically significant changes in metabolic health and self-reported attitudinal and behavioural benefits are reported as follows:

  • Improvements in Metabolic Health:
    Weight Loss of 3.55 kg on average – by the end of programme
    Waist Circumference reduction of 2.7cm on average – by the end of the programme
    BMI reduction of 2.62 on average – by the end of the programme
    HbA1c reduction of 20.5 mmol/mol on average – by the end of the programme

  • Enhanced Empowerment and Self-Efficacy

  • Improved Diabetes Management:
    Greater perceived personal control and understanding of diabetes
    Decrease in negative feelings associated with diabetes
    Increase in optimism for treatment and long-term prognosis of diabetes
    Decrease in eating in response to emotions and external cues
    Increase in restrained eating

  • Improvements in self-care attitudes and adherence to professional advice

  • Improvements in Physical and Mental health

  • Improved Health-Related Quality of Life

Improvements were sustained or continued to take place post-DWELL in the medium term (6 months) and long term (12 months). Notably, there was a continued weight loss a year later in the UK and France and continued improvement in participant empowerment and self-efficacy in France. All other outcomes remained improved compared to pre-DWELL levels.
 
Further exploration of outcome results could shed light to how specific DWELL programme outcomes were sustained in the longer term and could offer greater insight into the associations between participants’ physiological and psychological improvements, process characteristics of delivery per site, and external factors such as policy and practice of diabetes care in the wider healthcare system.


For more information visit: dwell-diabetes.co.uk

The programme enabled patients in these countries with Type 2 diabetes to access tailored support, empowering them to self-manage their condition and improve their wellbeing.

As a result of improving patients’ long-term health and wellbeing, it is estimated the project saw a per person reduction to state funded health services per year – with potential savings of €1.25 million (£1.09 million) per 1000 patients per year.

DWELL videos

2 Seas project – DWELL
DWELL programme participant feedback
DWELL participant Stories

Background to the project

Diabetes is a long term non-communicable disease with high costs to patients, health services and society, and for which there is currently no standardised approach to self-management. It is associated with up to 10 years shortened life expectancy and years of ill-health and morbidity. Non-communicable diseases are the most common cause of death and disability in the EU, accounting for 86 of deaths and 77 the disease burden. Diabetes requires near total self-management, so initiatives to increase effective, low-cost self-management are essential to the sustainability of treatment.

The objective of this project was to enable patients to access tailored support that gives them the mechanisms they need to control their condition. The patient journey through the project started with patient-focused agenda setting, then patients were introduced to other support networks (community and local health service) and have the opportunity to create their own communities of support (through shared interests and activities). A patient-focused care plan increased engagement, adherence to treatment and improved health measures.

The project delivered:

  • A cross-border training programme, which will benefit staff and patients

  • A 12-week programme to support patients in their life-style changes

  • A patient-led support network that will provide patient benefit after the project ends

  • An evaluation process to benefit future staff and patients

The Health and Europe Centre was the Lead Partner working with:

  • The Blackthorn Trust (UK)

  • Artevelde University College, Ghent (BE)

  • Medway Community Healthcare CIC (UK)

  • Kinetic Analysis (NL)

  • Kent County Council (UK)

  • Canterbury Christ Church University (UK)

  • Hospital Centre of Douai (FR)

There were also a number of Observer Partners: Diabetes UK, NHS West Kent, GGD West-Brabant, Stichting Care Innovation Centre West-Brabant, Diabetes Liga vzw, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences

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