Evaluation of the impact of a diabetes education eLearning program for school personnel on diabetes knowledge, knowledge retention and confidence in caring for students with diabetes

Aims: To study the impact of a novel comprehensive eLearning approach in delivering diabetes related education program that includes knowledge and sets of practices to the school personnel in Kuwait to enable them to provide a supportive environment for students with diabetes. Methods: The program was designed with three components namely; knowledge, skills and recommendations. The diabetes knowledge was delivered through an interactive eLearning program, the effectiveness of which was assessed using diabetes knowledge questionnaires which were deployed pre- and post-course delivery. Additionally, the participants’ knowledge retention and confidence in caring for a student with diabetes were evaluated at 6 or 12 months post-intervention. Results: A total of 124 public schools’ personnel participated in the program. Post e-Learning delivery, diabetes knowledge increased significantly from baseline (p < 0.0001) and knowledge was retained over 6 and 12 months. Average of overall confidence scores in caring for students with diabetes was 61.86% in all items of care. Conclusions: Offering eLearning diabetes education for school personnel increases their knowledge which can be retained for up to 12 months and imparts confidence in caring for students with diabetes. This novel approach of delivering diabetes education will help school personnel in managing students with diabetes.