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Patients with diabetes left in the dark
November 2012
Patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes feel “left in the dark” and unsure what they can and can’t eat whilst sometimes waiting months to receive diabetes education, according to a new study published in the journal Primary Health Care Research & Development.
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November 2012
Patients with diabetes left in the dark
Paper published in Primary Health Care Research and Development
Patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes feel “left in the dark” and unsure what they can and can’t eat whilst sometimes waiting months to receive diabetes education, according to a new study published online today in the journal Primary Health Care Research & Development1. The research carried out by Dr Michelle McKinley and colleagues at Queen’s University Belfast, explored the views of people recently diagnosed with diabetes and discovered that whilst waiting for a referral to a diabetes education programme, they received little or no information about what to eat. One patient reported that that were “eating enough to stay alive but eating very little” after being told they needed to lower their blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Dr McKinley and her team explored patient’s lifestyle self-management of their diabetes and the opinions of health professionals. With type 2 diabetes being most common in older patients it was commonly reported that it was difficult “to break habits of a lifetime”. This barrier to changing lifestyle is partnered with negative views of the ‘new’ diet, with it viewed as mundane and unappealing. An opinion that was echoed by health professionals:
“it’s getting them to hear what you are saying rather than just honing on the ‘life’s not worth living any more’ if they’ve gotta cut out X,Y and Z” - Dietitian
Dr McKinley states “Patients with type 2 diabetes indicated that there was sometimes a delay between diagnosis and receiving advice about how to self-manage their diabetes. Not surprisingly, many patients felt that they were ‘on their own’ during this time with no idea what changes to make to their lifestyle or how to set about doing it. It is important that we try to fill this gap with easily accessible information that is specifically designed for people with type 2 diabetes.”
The upcoming festive season and active social lives were also noted as substantial barriers to managing diabetes according to both patients and professionals. The temptation on offer at social gatherings and the frequent lack of healthier choices were highlighted as difficulties that many could not resist and found it then challenging to get back on track. Families and friends not being mindful or sympathetic towards people with diabetes adds to the difficulties of individuals trying to stick with their diets.
With 2.9 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes2 this research highlights the need for improved support between the point of diagnosis and the first visit with a professional for diabetes education. Easy to understand resources and support needs to be developed and made available to patients during this time in order to limit the feelings of isolation presently reported.
-Ends-
Editorial Notes
This study comprised of focus groups with 16 patients medically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the previous 24 months and 7 health professionals. All were from/working in the Belfast locality.
References:
- Booth AO, Lowis C, Dean M, Hunter SJ and McKinley MC. (2012) Diet and physical activity in the self-management of type 2 diabetes: Barriers and facilitators identified by patients and health professionals. Primary Health Care Research and Development doi:10.1017/S1463423612000412
- Diabetes UK http://www.diabetes.org.uk accessed 04-10-12
A copy of the full paper is available free of charge at http://journals.cambridge.org/phc/booth
Media inquiries to [email protected]
Dr Michelle McKinley is a researcher at Queen’s University Belfast in the Centre of Excellence for Public Health (NI). The centre is part of a £20 million investment across the UK, bringing together leading experts from a range of disciplines working in partnership with practitioners, policy makers and wider stakeholders to tackle public health issues which are likely to have a significant impact on the health of the nation.
Sugar Nutrition UK is an association principally funded by UK sugar manufacturers and is involved in promoting nutrition research and raising awareness among academics, health professionals, the media and the public about sugars and their role in health.