The Challenges of Diabetes Education for Young Diabetes Patients: A 1:1 Mentoring Program Teaching Method

Abstract

Diabetes is a chronic disease resulting from an absolute or relative shortage of insulin, and it is a disease that requires continuous management throughout the lifetime. Most past diabetes education programs used educational methods for training; however, only a small number of studies on individual education methods were conducted for diabetic patients. Along with individualized educational methods, various instructional methods for knowledge delivery and self-control have been attempted, and one of these is a one-on-one mentoring process. Through such a program, children can acquire knowledge and management of diabetes, and systematic management can be maintained through mentoring and use of diabetic resources. Also, shared cultural and life experiences between the mentor and the mentee can help the children overcome the identity crisis of adolescence to produce a suitable emotional experience. These positive effects can reduce the socio-economic costs associated with diabetes through improved management of problems that can arise in diabetics.

Impact of Facilitation on Cognitive Flow in a Novel Diabetes Management Rehearsal Game for Health Professions Education: Mixed Methods, Open-Label, Superiority Randomized Controlled Trial

“…As a result, the design of the present intervention appears unique to the best of the authors’ knowledge in examinations of both gray and peer-reviewed literature. The inclusion of a facilitator remains beneficial particularly to beginners and players exhibiting low confidence, as evidenced by student perceptions of a “safety blanket.” Comparable studies include a diabetes education and self-management study that paired young patients with mentors to alleviate the emotional stresses of adolescence and reduced the socioeconomic costs of the disease [ 75 ], a game-based learning tool for children with content that could easily be modified by an educator resulted in greatly increased student engagement and willingness to participate [ 78 ], and a qualitative study that suggested the facilitators required a mix of managerial and technical skills to blend away difficulties faced by students such that they may fully engage in a game-based activity [ 56 ]. This study’s design nonetheless aligns with facilitation’s role to support, give, and encourage learners as opposed to teaching the content in question, itself key to simulation and game-based interventions to which the diabetes management game belongs [ 79 ].…”

“…Similarly, reports of feeling safe when paired with a facilitator likely stem from the need for relatedness as defined by SDT. Due to students unfamiliarity with the facilitator, this is likely in the context of a mentor-mentee relationship as opposed to friendships [74,76], and is likely not observable in serious games featuring dynamic game balancing as the sole option for difficulty modulation [77]. While it could not be readily determined from the focus group discussions, there is a possibility that perceptions of safety stemmed from fulfilling the need for autonomy, due to a facilitated game affording students a means of exercising greater control over their learning environment [56,78].…”