DAFNE stands for Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating.
The DAFNE course is for people over 17 years old with type 1 diabetes and is a comprehensive and often life-changing experience. It is far more than a carbohydrate counting programme, although learning and refining the skills necessary to count the carbohydrate in each meal and to inject the right dose of insulin are an important part of the course.
DAFNE aims to help people with type 1 diabetes lead as normal a life as possible, whilst also maintaining blood glucose levels within healthy targets, to reduce the risk of long-term diabetes complications.
There are different ways in which you can complete a DAFNE course, either face-to-face or remotely (a blend of online learning with virtual group sessions).
The DAFNE course gives you the skills you need to adjust your insulin for the food choices you make. You learn how to manage diabetes throughout your daily life, for example, if you want to be active, if you go on holiday, if you are attending a celebration, or if you are unwell. The DAFNE course focuses on learning these life-long skills, this is why the course might be longer than some other ‘self-management’ training courses.
Face-to-face: A face-to-face course is delivered over 5-days (either Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, or one day per week for 5 weeks), with a follow-up session around eight weeks later.
The face-to-face course is delivered to groups of 6 to 8 participants by DAFNE trained educators (who are specially trained NHS diabetes specialist nurses and dietitians).
Remotely: Remote courses enable you to learn at home; fitting around your work and home commitments. The Remote DAFNE course will take 5 weeks to complete. It includes online learning from home each week and weekly group video calls with up to 4 to 6 other participants and a trained DAFNE educator.
The DAFNE course, in whichever format, is about learning from experience, trying new things under supervision and benefiting from the support of other people on your course. During the course you practise the skills of carbohydrate counting and insulin adjustment around lifestyle activities.
Your local DAFNE team can provide you with a letter for your employer explaining why you should be given paid time off work (as a health-related absence). Attending DAFNE could be one of the most beneficial things you ever get the chance to do to improve your health and wellbeing.
DAFNE allows you to fit diabetes into your lifestyle, rather than changing your lifestyle to fit in with your diabetes. We are passionate about DAFNE and the healthcare professionals involved in delivering it often say this is the most worthwhile part of their job.