Approaches to Psychosocial Care Within Tertiary Diabetes Care Centres in Canada: An Environmental Scan

Patients with diabetes facing psychosocial challenges often struggle with diabetes self-management, and thereby are at risk of complications arising from hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Despite the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines' recommendations for diabetes centres to offer psychosocial services for the screening and support of patients with psychosocial barriers, the extent to which these recommendations have been implemented in centres across Canada is unknown.

Tertiary adult diabetes centres affiliated with academic institutions were invited to participate in our quantitative survey (n=40). At each centre, a structured telephone interview was administered to a manager, as well as a social worker and psychologist (if employed at the centre), to inquire regarding the psychosocial services offered.

Thirty diabetes centres (75%) completed at least one questionnaire. Participating diabetes centres varied considerably in capacity, employing from 3 to more than 50 diabetes educators and from 0 to 20 endocrinologists. Approximately 80% of centres reported providing patients with access to psychosocial services, but only about 50% had a dedicated, internal psychosocial team. Stratified results showed centres that are the main centres affiliated with academic teaching hospitals were more likely to have embedded psychosocial services and to make referrals for psychosocial concerns when compared with satellite centres. The majority of managers reported that their staffing and funding model provided inadequate psychosocial support and that increased funding for psychosocial care was either somewhat of a priority or a high priority.

Diabetes centres across Canada struggle to offer adequate psychosocial services; greater funding and training for staff is required to uphold the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines.