However , overall there did not appear to be a significant difference between individual education and usual care .
In the small number of studies comparing group and individual education , there was an equal impact on HbA1c at 12 to 18 months .
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is a common and costly chronic disease which is associated with significant premature mortality and morbidity .
Although patient education is an integral component of diabetes care , there remain uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of different methods and modes of education .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of individual patient education  on metabolic control , diabetes knowledge and psychosocial outcomes .
Efficacy of dietary instructions in newly diagnosed non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Comparison of two different patient education regimens.
Eighty consecutive newly diagnosed non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were r and omly allocated into two groups to compare two different patient education regimens . One group received individual dietary instructions by a nurse and the other a short , written leaflet given by a doctor . The principal aim of the dietary instructions was weight reduction . A significant weight loss and improvement in the control of diabetes occurred in both groups , and these changes were similar in the two groups . At the end of one year 's follow-up , however , only 25 % of the patients were satisfactorily controlled ( fasting blood glucose less than or equal to 6.0 mmol/l ) . The degree of weight loss correlated only weakly with the improvement in the metabolic control . The degree of obesity and insulin secretion capacity as measured at the beginning of the study did not predict the improvement of glycaemic control during the study . At the end of the study a significant improvement was observed in serum lipids of patients with good control ( fasting blood glucose less than or equal to 6.0 mmol/l ) or weight loss ( greater than 5 kg ) . In conclusion , both brief , written and individual dietary instructions induced a significant weight loss as well as improved glucose and lipid metabolism in newly diagnosed non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients , but satisfactory metabolic control was achieved only in a minority of the patients
However , overall there did not appear to be a significant difference between individual education and usual care .
In the small number of studies comparing group and individual education , there was an equal impact on HbA1c at 12 to 18 months .
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is a common and costly chronic disease which is associated with significant premature mortality and morbidity .
Although patient education is an integral component of diabetes care , there remain uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of different methods and modes of education .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of individual patient education  on metabolic control , diabetes knowledge and psychosocial outcomes .