Benefit by sharing

Under the Stability and Growth Pact, agreed when the euro began in 1999, member states are supposed to ensure their debt does not exceed 60% of their gross domestic product (GDP). According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), 14 out of 27 countries in the EU have a public debt exceeding 60% of their GDP at the end of 2010. Topping the European debt league is Greece with a 142.8% government debt:GDP ratio, followed by Italy (118.4%), Belgium (96.2%), Ireland (94.9%) and Portugal (93.3%). The lowest government debt:GDP ratios were recorded in Estonia (6.6%), Bulgaria (16.2%) and Luxembourg (18.4%).

Productive interactions are necessary to prevent serious complications from occurring, as is a shared vision on how to meet the obvious targets. Doesn't this look common to what we are trying to achieve in diabetes care? One way of getting there is by sharing information in order to learn from each other. This is exactly what EDN aims to achieve. Not to solve the euro crisis, but to strengthen diabetes nursing across Europe. Then again, with over 60 million people who live with diabetes in Europe, evidence-based care does have significant economic and other implications.

This issue of EDN presents very interesting pieces of evidence. Huber et al. shed light on the views held and problems encountered by nurses working in home health care and nursing homes. Clarke reports on associations between personal characteristics and benefits of attendance at CODE, a structured diabetes education programme. Interim results of a study on the contribution of participant-driven patient education to a reduction of new ulceration are presented by Annersten Gershater et al. Diabetes specialist nursing in the UK is systematically reviewed by James. Zhang and Ho report on a case of severe hypoglycaemia in an individual with insulin treated type 2 diabetes, secondary to panhypopituitarism from a Rathke's cyst. Finally, highlights of this year's annual conference of FEND are reported by Rita Forde.

Another, special way of visualising the societal value of diabetes care is by awarding people for their contributions. It is with great pleasure to mention that Brigitte Osterbrink, member of FEND since its foundation, has been given the German Cross of Merit Award. Congratulations to Brigitte!