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Time requirements for diabetes self-management: too much for many?
Louise B Russell1, Dong-Churl Suh, Monika A Safford
1Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
The Journal of Family Practice
|December 30, 2004
Summary
Recommended diabetes self-care demands over two hours daily, impacting patient time significantly. Guidelines should consider patient burden and time constraints for chronic condition management.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Patient-Centered Care
- Chronic Disease Management
Background:
- Institute of Medicine's 'Crossing the Quality Chasm' highlighted improving care quality.
- Chronic diseases were identified as a key area for quality improvement initiatives.
- Current chronic care recommendations often overlook the time commitment for patient self-care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the daily time investment required for recommended diabetes self-care.
- To assess the feasibility of current self-care recommendations within patients' daily lives.
Main Methods:
- A consensus-based approach was used, involving 8 certified diabetes educators.
- Estimates were derived for all self-care tasks recommended by the American Diabetes Association.
- Focus was on patients with type 2 diabetes managed with oral medications.
Main Results:
- Recommended diabetes self-care requires over 2 hours per day for experienced patients on oral agents.
- Elderly patients, those newly diagnosed, or with physical limitations require additional self-care time.
- Diet and exercise are the most time-intensive components of diabetes self-care.
Conclusions:
- The time commitment for diabetes self-care is substantial and warrants attention.
- Clinicians and guideline developers should incorporate patient perspectives on self-care time.
- Further research is needed on the health consequences and optimal management of self-care tasks.