Strategies to increase adherence through diabetes technology

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Behavioral Science
• Health Technology

Background:

• Despite advancements in diabetes self-management technologies, significant improvements in hemoglobin A1c levels have stagnated over the past decade.
• Effective patient self-management hinges on informed, motivated, and adherent individuals, irrespective of technological data availability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of motivational interviewing (MI) as a strategy to enhance patient adherence to diabetes self-management technologies.
• To identify specific MI skills that can be utilized by healthcare providers to improve patient engagement with new diabetes technologies.

Main Methods:

• This article reviews the principles and application of motivational interviewing, an evidence-based behavioral change counseling technique.
• It outlines how MI skills can be employed to assess patient knowledge, explore motivation, and identify barriers, importance, and confidence related to technology use.

Main Results:

• Motivational interviewing provides a framework for providers to understand patient perspectives on technology use.
• Specific MI techniques can facilitate a patient-centered approach to address challenges in adopting and consistently using diabetes management tools.

Conclusions:

• Motivational interviewing is a valuable tool for healthcare providers to enhance patient adherence to diabetes self-management technologies.
• By addressing individual patient motivations and barriers, MI can lead to improved self-management behaviors and potentially better health outcomes.