Page 38 - The SA Journal Diabetes & Vascular Disease Volume 9 No 4 (November 2012)

SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
180 VOLUME 9 NUMBER 4 • NOVEMBER 2012
Diabetes Personality
Non-judgemental communication is key
to ensuring good outcomes in diabetes
management
S Afr J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2012;
9: 180–182 Dr Louise Spruyt is this year’s winner of the
Servier award for community involvement
in diabetes, presented each year at the
Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology’s (CDE) an-
nual postgraduate forum in diabetes management.
The award took her completely by surprise. ‘I wasn’t
expecting it at all. Due to a fault with my hotel book-
ing I was unable to be at the awards dinner and had
no idea that I needed to be there. I am deeply grate-
ful to Servier and the CDE.’ The award comprises an
unconditional educational grant of R20 000.
Dr Spruyt, who currently practises in Durban-
ville, Cape Town, became interested in diabetes in
2007, when she spent a year in Johannesburg. ‘I
was working in a CDE practice’, she recalls, ‘and Dr
Danie Jacobs, whose practice it was, sent me on a
CDE course. Marilyn Mitchell, Danie’s diabetes nurse
educator, took me under her wing and taught me the
practical aspects of working with people who have
diabetes. Further to this, I completed a two-year on-
line postgraduate diploma in diabetes under the aus-
pices of the University of Cardiff, which was a fan-
tastic experience.’ Returning to the Cape, Dr Spruyt
opened a CDE practice of her own, which she runs
alongside her general private practice in Kenridge.
Communication, support and understanding un-
derpin her approach. ‘One needs to take the blame
factor away. There is a genetic predisposition to de-
veloping diabetes. It is a multifactorial disease. It’s
easy to fall into the trap of lecturing the patient with
diabetes who happens to be overweight, but this is
counterproductive. Diabetes is a condition that’s bad
enough as it is. One should not pass judgement and
add guilt. I’ve had patients start apologising for the
fact that they have diabetes before they’ve sat down
for a consultation. One has no idea of the challenges
people living with diabetes face. For example, it is
very difficult to find somewhere to eat socially where
starch, such as chips or potatoes in other forms, isn’t
part of every dish on the menu.’
She believes in maintaining a fairly informal ap-
proach, always having a chat when patients come
in once a month to collect their medication. ‘These
visits offer a good opportunity for follow up and on-
going communication and support’, she says. ‘The
patients become a part of the practice’s “family”, so
to speak, and we make this journey together.’
There are two issues about which Dr Spruyt is
especially passionate. The first of these is the im-
portance of diabetes education and awareness in
schools, so that children with the condition have the
necessary understanding and support. Dr Spruyt is
visiting individual schools with a view to promoting
this. ‘I feel strongly that there should be a “buddy sys-
tem” in place for children who are insulin dependent.
The diabetic child’s friends, teachers and classmates
need to be alert to warning signs, be able to use a
glucometer and to act appropriately when necessary.
Ideally, I’d like to see a glucometer in every class-
room where there is a child who may need it, and not
just an outdated one with expired strips somewhere
in a first aid cupboard or a secretary’s office.’ Many
parents, however, prefer to keep their child’s condi-
tion confidential. While not unsympathetic, Dr Spruyt