Dr Foster Intelligence | Focus on diabetes

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Focus on diabetes

"This type of social marketing is a simple thing, but it works - and the same principles can be applied to any chronic condition." Grace Vanterpool, diabetes clinical lead, Slough PCT

Focus on diabetes Problem: Finding undiagnosed diabetes sufferers. Our research discovered that 7% of Slough's residents might have diabetes, but only half of them knew it.

Solution: A tailor-made awareness campaign for Slough PCT called Action Diabetes, targeting specific residential areas. Local diabetes patients, acting as volunteer health counsellors, visited the individuals we identified as high risk. A mobile testing bus went to workplaces, shopping and leisure centres. The campaign also included a free health magazine, health information in different languages, celebrity support and local media coverage.

Result: The first three months saw a 164% increase in early detection of diabetes - and a full evaluation follows later this year.