Patients With Diabetes Speak: Exploring the Implications of Patients' Perspectives for Their Diabetes Appointments

• Published in: Health communication Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 103 - 114
• Main Authors: Burke, Julie A., Earley, Mark, Dixon, Lynda D., Wilke, Allan, Puczynski, Sandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-2006; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Doctor-Patient interactions; Female; Focus Groups; Glycaemic control; Health care; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Office Visits; Ohio; Patient Satisfaction; Patients; Physician-Patient Relations; Self Care; Selfmanagement; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Ohio
• ISSN: 1041-0236; 1532-7027
• DOI: 10.1207/s15327027hc1902_2

Type 2 diabetes puts patients at risk for serious health consequences that they can prevent or delay by achieving glycemic control. However, glycemic control depends largely on self-management. Consequently, determining what physicians might do in medical appointments to improve patients' self-management is of utmost concern. Patients were asked to discuss, in focus groups, their illness experience and their goals for regularly scheduled appointments. Six interrelated themes emerged from the analysis of transcripts: complications and comorbidities, time, control, information, family influences, and the physician-patient encounter. These themes and their implications for diabetes appointments were explored, specifically considering how physicians might use information about patients' perspectives to improve patients' self-management and thereby their glycemic control.