Development of a therapeutic patient education curriculum for healthcare professionals to improve diabetes care in the Eastern Mediterranean region

AIMS: Diabetes prevalence in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is among the highest globally, yet structured therapeutic patient education (TPE) is inconsistently implemented. This study aimed to describe the multi-phase development, structure, and implementation planning of a WHO-led, diabetes-specific TPE curriculum tailored to the EMR. METHODS: A multi-phase, formative approach was used to inform curriculum development. This included a synthesis of existing evidence, a regional situation analysis combining desk review, stakeholder surveys, and semi-structured interviews, and stakeholder consultations. Qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach, and findings were integrated through an expert-driven, iterative consensus process. Reporting was guided by relevant principles for complex intervention description. RESULTS: The different phases identified key gaps in the organization, content, and delivery of diabetes education across the region, as well as priorities for culturally adapted and competency-based training. These findings directly informed the development of a structured curriculum composed of eight modules, covering core aspects of diabetes management, self-care, and context-specific considerations. The curriculum incorporates defined learning objectives, core content areas, and participatory teaching methods, and is supported by an implementation guide informed by implementation science frameworks. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides a transparent description of the development of an evidence-informed, theory-driven TPE curriculum adapted to the EMR. The curriculum offers a structured framework to support the delivery of diabetes education and may be adaptable to other contexts, subject to local contextualization and future evaluation.