Exploring how patients understand and assess their diabetes control

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Health Communication

Background:

• Poor understanding of diabetes management targets correlates with adverse health outcomes.
• Patients and providers may utilize different information to evaluate diabetes control.
• Identifying patient-specific information sources and barriers to understanding HbA1c is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the information patients utilize to assess their diabetes control.
• To explore patient-perceived barriers in understanding the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) value.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of adult patients with self-reported diabetes from academic Internal Medicine clinics.
• Conducting semi-structured interviews with participants.
• Thematic analysis of collected qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Participants used HbA1c alongside self-efficacy, adherence, medication details, symptoms, and blood glucose monitoring feedback.
• While most participants knew of HbA1c, its meaning interpretation varied significantly.
• Inadequate diabetes education and communication issues were primary barriers to understanding HbA1c.

Conclusions:

• Patient assessment of diabetes control is influenced by HbA1c and other informational categories.
• Enhanced provider awareness of patient-specific factors can foster patient-centered communication.
• Effective communication strategies are vital for facilitating behavior change and improving patient outcomes.