Type 2 diabetic patient-centered care

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Rising global prevalence of diabetes mellitus necessitates integrated biological and psychosocial management strategies.
• Patient-centered care, emphasizing clinician's behavioral skills, customizes patient interactions for improved health outcomes.
• This study applied patient-centered care principles within a Thai healthcare setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of patient-centered care in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Assessed changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), eating and exercise behaviors, compliance, and patient satisfaction.
• Compared outcomes before and after the patient-centered care intervention.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, controlled before-and-after study design.
• Involved 78 type 2 diabetes patients attending a family medicine outpatient clinic over one year.
• Utilized six components of patient-centered care, including relationship building, exploring patient perspectives, emphasizing lifestyle factors, goal setting, and education workshops.

Main Results:

• Mean FPG decreased significantly in both completers (73.58 mg/dL) and partial completers (39.55 mg/dL).
• Hemoglobin A1c levels reduced by 0.92% (p = 0.001).
• Significant improvements were observed in eating behaviors (p < 0.000), exercise behaviors (p < 0.05), and diabetes symptom management, alongside increased patient satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Patient-centered care effectively improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients.
• The intervention positively impacted eating and exercise behaviors, treatment compliance, and diabetes symptom management.
• This study demonstrates that patient-centered care enhances health status through both biological and behavioral improvements.