FAZLYN PETERSEN ( PhD), Information Systems Lecturer, University of the Western Cape NON-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death globally. There’s no cure for most of them, such as diabetes. Rather, they’re controlled through lifelong medical treatment as well as support from healthcare professionals and family members. Suboptimal treatment of diabetes can lead to severe complications such as amputations, blindness and kidney disease. That’s why ongoing patient self-management education and support are critical to preventing acute complications and reducing the risk of death. This is increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic where the treatment and prevention of noncommunicable diseases…