G41(P)\u2005The use of peer design in the development of educational resources for adolescent type 1 diabetes patients

Abstract

Objectives Young people with diabetes express a desire for information, and leaflets are often used as a medium for easy to process, ‘bite-size’ knowledge. However, most leaflets that are available are designed for an adult audience, making it difficult for teenagers to access and digest the information effectively. We set out to create ‘peer-designed’ leaflets. With this, we hoped to provide better insights for adolescent Type 1 Diabetes patients as they begin to take more responsibility for their care. Method Topics were chosen by a young person to be of most importance. The visual aspects and language were chosen by this young person and designed to be relevant for their peers. Content was adapted from existing resources. The leaflets were tested and revised with young adult patients and with the professional team. Leaflets were evaluated by asking patients questions on a Likert scale to gauge overall benefit, and whether they were received positively. Results Patients were incredibly positive about the leaflets, with 100% indicating that they liked them. Feedback indicated that 75% agreed they had learnt something new, and the remainder indicated that they already knew the information. 100% of patients said they found the information easy to access, and would also recommend them to someone with Type 1 Diabetes. 100% of patients disagreed that the leaflets contained too many words. Conclusions The positive feedback of patients indicates a desire for such resources and the effectiveness of their design. Therefore, we believe this method of creating informational resources, using peers of the same age, should be adopted more widely to support adolescents in the management of long-term conditions.