Patients' expectations and solutions for improving primary diabetes care

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient-Centered Care
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Primary care (PC) is crucial for managing diabetes.
• Patient perspectives are vital for improving PC services.
• Empowering patients enhances their engagement with healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• Document healthcare needs of individuals with diabetes.
• Identify patient-envisaged solutions for enhancing primary care quality.
• Promote better utilization of primary care services by diabetic patients.

Main Methods:

• Employed a participatory research approach.
• Conducted six workshops with 79 individuals living with diabetes.
• Utilized thematic analysis on recorded group discussions.

Main Results:

• Identified seven key patient needs: follow-up, access, motivation, knowledge, support, finances, and collaboration.
• Generated five solution themes: facilitated access, information dissemination, online centralization, personalized services, and interprofessional collaboration.
• Patients highlighted needs in accessibility, organization, coordination, and service visibility.

Conclusions:

• Patient-identified needs span multiple facets of care delivery.
• Proposed solutions emphasize enhanced information access and interprofessional services.
• Participatory workshops offer an effective tool for patient engagement in quality improvement.