Background: Measurement of inpatient experience can allow for treatment tailored to patient preferences and needs. The patient experience of diabetes care has not been explored in Queensland hospitals.
Aims: To investigate the experiences of patients with diabetes when hospitalised using the Queensland Inpatient Diabetes Survey (QuIDS).
Methods: In 2019 and 2021, patient experience surveys were collected as part of the statewide QuIDS, a cross-sectional study assessing the quality of inpatient care received by people with diabetes in Queensland, Australia. Patient responses were categorised and frequencies reported as percentages. Free text comments were analysed using thematic analysis methods. Pooled descriptive data were presented.
Results: Responses were collected from 27 hospitals in 2019 (n = 526, 52.4% of all patients with diabetes) and 35 hospitals in 2021 (n = 709, 55.5%). Overall, patients were satisfied with their inpatient diabetes care. Areas for improvement identified by surveyed patients include the choice and timing of meals, staff knowledge about diabetes and increased diabetes self-management. Access to a specialist diabetes team was also identified as being potentially underutilised. Patient comments fell into four major themes: communication, food choices, patient autonomy and education.
Conclusion: Many patients reported positive inpatient experiences; however, patients also expressed dissatisfaction with their inpatient diabetes care. Our data provide unique insight and an opportunity to improve standards of care and service provision for inpatients with diabetes.
Keywords: diabetes; hospital; inpatient; patient experience.
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