Digital Nerve Care Forum: Innovative Healthcare Professionals Education on Neuropathy

Abstract

Neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes, rarely detected on time, often deprioritized by treating physicians, and hence rarely managed in time, leading to avoidable complications which can be limb and life-threatening. Despite introducing new diagnostic tests, novel potential bio parameters, and a series of relatively small intervention studies utilizing detailed phenotypic profiling, the management of diabetic neuropathy (DN) and painful DN has remained unchanged due to misdiagnosis. The diagnostic complexity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), variation in patient response to treatment, and regulatory pressures to meet data-driven quality metrics for diabetes management all likely contributes to the underdiagnosis and treatment of DPN in clinical practice. Educating the primary healthcare providers and diabetic trainers would help improve the number of diagnosed DPN cases as these practitioners lead public health literacy. The digital nerve care forum (NCF) is an educational initiative created by clinical experts and Procter and Gamble (P&G) health academy. Its primary aim is to generate awareness amongst healthcare practitioners (HCPs) about early diagnosis and timely management of DPN. Since its inception in October 2020, NCF has conducted 143 engagements; 39 neuropathy case puzzles, four interactive case-based discussions, two diagnostic workshops, four mentor-mentee nerve talk shows, two intercountry nerve talk shows, two global neuropathy awareness week initiatives, three nerves of steel (Women's Day special engagements), and 17 NCF times (Newsletters). This online forum is hosted on a global HCP education and upskilling platform, MediSage, which offers these educational resources to HCPs worldwide for free. It has helped create a community of 254, 714 HCPs from 86 countries across six continents supported by 30 neuropathy experts from seven countries. With a repeated viewership of 53% of HCPs engaging continuously, NCF empowers this community to improve diabetic patient care. Activities that increase disease awareness and highlight the importance of diabetic nerve health have been the key objectives behind the several educational programs on NCF. To drive this continuum, these digital programs are now becoming more phygital and impactful than ever. Therefore, earlier detection of DPN in at-risk individuals and those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is recommended for better management through optimal intervention and lifestyle changes and to prevent future complications of untreated DPN. How to cite this article: Kalra S, Tiwaskar M, Shrestha D, et al. Digital Nerve Care Forum: Innovative Healthcare Professionals Education on Neuropathy. J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(10):89-92.