title: [Cost of training a diabetes mellitus patient. Effects on the prevention of amputation].
abstract: Cost of disease is a complex notion: financial cost, psychological cost for those who have cope with a chronic disease. But there is also another cost which has not yet sufficiently been taken into account: the cost of resistance to change. It has largely been shown that patient education could result in major cost-saving as well as improvement of quality of life. Why is there such a resistance from health care providers, health policy planners for implementation of patients education programs? These resistances may well be part of the real cost of efficient control of a disease and like in the case of diabetes, prevention of acute and chronic complications. Education and training of patients has enabled us to decrease markedly lower extremities amputations: 12 times less above knee amputations, reduction by half of below knee amputations and a four fold decrease of toe amputations at the University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Traitement et d'Enseignement pour Diabétiques, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, Genève, Suisse.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Assal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albeanu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peter-Riesch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vaucher
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics*; D013557:Switzerland
vernacular_title: Coût de la formation du patient atteint d'un diabète sucré. Effets sur la prévention des amputations.