Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for HCPs

DigiBete’s ‘My Learning’ structured education programme is for children and young people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, their parents, and any other carers or family members who need a thorough understanding of diabetes care. It helps everyone involved develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to support everyday diabetes management.

Yes. DigiBete’s Implementation Guide provides practical advice on introducing ‘My Learning’, encouraging participation and reviewing learning as part of routine care.

The Guide can be found here: Implementation Guide

Contact app@digibete.org for the guide or to arrange training for your team.

The curriculum supports the delivery of structured education in line with NICE guidance, including NG18, and helps teams embed education within routine diabetes care.

The DigiBete App is free to download from the Apple App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android devices. Search for ‘DigiBete’, download the app and follow the instructions to create an account.

As a team you will have access to both type 1 and type 2 codes and these can be found on your own clinic portal. If you do not have access to a clinic portal yet, please contact app@digibete.org for guidance and to set up training.

Once registered on the DigiBete App, users can immediately access the ‘My Learning’, and self-management resources as well as the app’s other features.

Profiles are categorised as either parent/carer or patient. Learning resources are tailored to the following age bands: 5 years and under, 6–9, 10–13, 14–17 and 18–25 years.

Resources to support parents managing children aged 5 years and under can be found in the child’s area of the app to complement the parent/carer training.

Yes, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG18 and quality standard QS125 recommend diabetes education from diagnosis, tailored to individual needs and revisited at least annually.

Introduce children, young people and their families to ‘My Learning’ from diagnosis, at a pace that suits their needs. DigiBete recommends aiming to complete the relevant modules within the first year, with support from the diabetes team. This is a programme recommendation rather than a specific NICE requirement to complete online modules within 12 months.

Essential education needed for safe day-to-day care should continue to be provided directly by the diabetes team from diagnosis.

Learning remains valuable however long someone has lived with diabetes. Teams should review learning needs at least annually and encourage young people and families to revisit modules relevant to their knowledge, confidence and circumstances.

Moving into a new age band is a useful opportunity to explore the next set of modules. Other opportunities include changes in treatment, starting a new school, taking greater responsibility for diabetes care or preparing to leave home.

There is no expectation to repeat every online module each year. Agree a suitable approach with the young person and their family, focusing on the areas where learning would help most. Self-management resources also remain available in the ‘Living with Diabetes’ area for families to revisit whenever needed.

No. The modules and resources can be accessed in any order. Families can start with the topics most relevant to them, with guidance from their diabetes team where helpful.

Yes. Other relatives or carers can access the learning using the central NHS access code. They can follow the instructions for downloading on the homepage of this site and contact DigiBete at app@digibete.org for a relevant code and further guidance on accessing the programme.

Using a central code provided by DigiBete enables access to learning resources for additional carers but does not link the account to the young person’s clinic or provide access to their personal care information.

‘My Learning’ can be introduced at diagnosis, with age-appropriate modules available to support ongoing education as children and young people develop. Routine contacts with young people and families provides a further opportunity to introduce ‘My Learning’, discuss progress and recommend relevant topics.

Clinic appointments, annual reviews, pump starts and changes in treatment are useful times to check that families can access the DigiBete App and know how to find the learning resources.

Agree manageable next steps and allow time to discuss questions or difficulties. Encouragement should reflect each family’s readiness, priorities and support needs.

Families can access clinically approved, age-appropriate education at their own pace, revisit information when needed and build confidence in managing diabetes throughout their journey.

Yes. Encourage young people and their parents or carers to complete the annual checks module at least once and revisit it when helpful.

The module explains the routine checks relevant to their care and how these help identify changes early and reduce the risk of complications. It can also help families prepare questions for their annual review.

In England, DigiBete’s learning data is now being uploaded to the NHS Data Landing Portal to support the NHS in monitoring diabetes structured education delivery. Reporting on the participation, progress and completion of learning modules in the ‘My Learning’ area helps build a clearer picture of who is accessing education, where engagement in learning is lower and where additional learning support may be needed. This can inform diabetes service quality improvements and help reduce inequalities in access. This way also supports the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan, which aims to improve diabetes care, expand access to education and self-management support in line with NICE NG18 and make greater use of digital services to help people manage their health.

DigiBete learning data is being reported to the National Diabetes Audit (NDA) to help NHS England monitor access to and participation in structured diabetes education. This helps identify gaps in provision, understand differences between groups and geographical areas and inform service improvements so that more children, young people and families receive the support they need.

Reporting also supports the national oversight of structured education alongside other aspects of diabetes care, helping services work towards more consistent care and reduced health inequalities.

Standardising and digitally delivering core education can reduce repetition, support more consistent learning opportunities and free up clinical time for personalised discussions, assessment and problem-solving.

Reporting helps identify gaps in access and where additional support is needed and can identify inequalities. Low uptake should inform discussions about barriers and service improvement. Low DigiBete uptake alone would not show that a team is failing to provide structured education. In-person education should be documented and reflected in the relevant reporting, so the team’s full provision is recognised. The agreed reporting arrangements should clarify how this is recorded alongside digital learning

Teams are encouraged to continue delivering structured education in person. NICE recommends ongoing, age-appropriate education tailored to children, young people and their families. The DigiBete App and specifically the ‘My Learning’area can complement this by helping families revisit topics at home, reinforce learning between appointments and involve other carers or family members.

Some young people or families may not feel ready to engage with structured education straight away and that’s okay. Teams should explore this situation sensitively, considering barriers such as language, digital access, learning needs, emotional wellbeing, issues at school or home or competing demands. You can report any identified barriers to app@digibete.org

You can offer support and alternative ways to learn, including in-person education or shorter sessions focused on what matters most to the family. Continue to record the offer, any barriers or preferences, and support provided, then revisit the NHS endorsed ‘My learning’ area at future appointments without pressure or blame. Choosing not to use DigiBete straight away does not necessarily mean a family is not engaging with diabetes education.

Self-management resources are always available in DigiBete’s ‘Living with Diabetes’ area, allowing young people and families to revisit practical information and support whenever they need it.

The ‘Coping with Diabetes’ resources are also available to all children and young people. Developed as an early intervention resource, they support access to psychological information and strategies for coping with the emotional demands of diabetes.

These resources can be used while waiting to see a psychology professional or alongside psychological treatment. They complement individual support and treatment from the diabetes and psychology teams.

The DigiBete App offers practical tools, information and opportunities to connect with others:

Connect button: Find information about local events and opportunities to connect with other young people living with diabetes, including peer support through the Together Type 1 programme.

Carb counting tool: Access a free carb counting tool to support everyday food choices and diabetes management.

My T1D area: Record and track HbA1c and time in range, keep notes and store appointment details to help prepare for discussions with the diabetes team.

News and support: Receive important news and support from the local diabetes team, alongside DigiBete updates about new diabetes technology, research trials, ways to optimise diabetes care and opportunities for peer support

Any team member can book a one-hour DigiBete training session on behalf of their trust. Follow-up refresher training is also available on request.

Look out for ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions arranged in collaboration with your regional Network Manager or advertised by DigiBete. Family training can also be requested to help young people, parents and carers make the most of the app and its resources.

To book or discuss your training needs, contact app@digibete.org.