Dept of Endocrinology CMC, Vellore bags patient care awards 2017 by Royal College of Physicians

Vellore: The Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore has won the Royal College of Physicians (London) Excellence in Patient Care Awards 2017 for outstanding work in advancing medical education and training. The award was given away to Dr Nihal Thomas, professor and head, unit-I of the department.

"We are the only medical team outside the United Kingdom to win such an award this year under any of the categories," he said.

The judges were impressed by "the multi-professional approach and use of blended learning, with some really innovative approaches," he added.

The department is a center for diabetes patient care, training, education, basic science, clinical and epidemiological research. The department has developed a nation-wide training program for doctors, nurse educators and foot-care technicians ever since 2003.

The award made special note of the department's efforts in training of healthcare professionals both in the country and outside, thereby, raising the number of trained professionals qualified to handle the diabetes menace.

The award also pointed out that the program, having evolved into a distance education program since 2003, training 736 doctors in secondary care diabetes till now

The award also acknowledged department's effort in launching a local foot-care and footwear training program that has evolved into an intensive training program for doctors across India. The diabetes counsellor training program also found mention in the award, reports Hindu.

The RCP Excellence in Patient Care Awards 2017 aim to recognize, celebrate and promote the work that physicians do to improve patient-centered care through education, policy, clinical practice and research.

The categories for 2017 ward were:

• quality improvement


• patient-centred care


• medical education and training


• innovation


• international


• The Lancet research award


• contribution to the profession


• lifetime achievement.

The RCP has a truly international network, with 18% of its members based outside the UK