title: A pediatric diabetes toolbox for creating centres of reference.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ISPAD guidelines recommend age appropriate diabetes education concepts for young patients and their families as well as tools for nutritional management, psychosocial assessment, and psychological advice but their implementation in Europe is presently unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  On the basis of a structured survey among the European SWEET members information on established tools and programs in national languages were analyzed using an extensive literature and desk search. These were differentiated according to five age-groups and five target groups (young people with diabetes, parents, and other close relations, carers in school and nursery, and healthcare professionals).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responses and original tools were received from 11 SWEET countries reflecting the European status in 2011. More or less structured information for parents, close relations, and carers in school or nursery are available in all 11 participating countries. However, only two countries followed the recommendations of having published a structured, curriculum lead, and evaluated program for different age-groups and carers. One of these was evaluated nationwide and funded by the respective National Health Care System after accreditation. In addition a huge variety of creative tools, e.g., booklets, leaflets, games, videos, and material for educating children of different age-groups and their parents are available - but most of them are not linked to a structured education program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Harmonizing and integrating these materials into quality assured structured holistic national education programs will be an important future task for the ongoing SWEET project. A comprehensive European diabetes educational toolbox is aimed to be published and continuously updated on the SWEET website.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, Hannover, Germany. lange.karin@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klotmann
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saßmann
authors.forename: Bärbel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aschemeier
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wintergerst
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gerhardsson
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kordonouri
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szypowska
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Danne
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004704:Endocrinology / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012015:Reference Standards; D059039:Standard of Care / Q000458:organization & administration