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. 2019 Aug 28;19(1):605.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4384-7.

Patients' perspective on self-management: type 2 diabetes in daily life

Astrid N van Smoorenburg  1 , Dorijn F L Hertroijs  2 , Tessa Dekkers  1 , Arianne M J Elissen  2 , Marijke Melles  3   4
Affiliations

Patients' perspective on self-management: type 2 diabetes in daily life

Astrid N van Smoorenburg et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: The number of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and related treatment costs are rapidly increasing. Consequentially, more cost-effective and efficient strategies for the treatment of T2DM are needed. One such strategy is improving patients' self-management. As patients are more and more expected to self-manage their disease, it is important to provide them with suitable self-management support. This way, success of self-management will increase and complications and related costs of T2DM can be reduced. Currently, self-management support is developed mainly from the perspective of health professionals and caregivers, rather than patients. This research focused on gaining a better understanding of patients' perspectives on self-management and support.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews, preceded by preparatory assignments, were conducted with ten patients with T2DM treated in Dutch primary care.

Results: We found that patients experience 'active' self-management when recently diagnosed. As time progresses and no problems occur, patients do not experience their disease-related behaviour as self-management. Diabetes has 'just' become part of their daily life, now including new routines taking diabetes into account.

Conclusions: With this knowledge, support solutions can be designed and implemented that better fit the needs, preferences and abilities of patients with T2DM.

Keywords: Chronic care; Context mapping; Lifestyle; Patient preferences; User-centred design.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors, A.N. van Smoorenburg, D.F.L. Hertroijs, T. Dekkers, A.M.J. Elissen and M. Melles, declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Example page from the sensitising booklet (in Dutch). Patients filled out a timeline and questions about ‘An ordinary day in their life’ (‘Gewoon een dag uit uw leven’). The blue stickers were used to indicate moments in the day where the participant felt he or she had to take diabetes into account. During the interview, the participant was asked to explain how diabetes was taken into account in these moments, and how the participant experienced this
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Over time, active self-management changes into routine in daily life. When problems occur, patients shift back to active self-management (grey peaks)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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