Individualized care for older adults with diabetes and its relationship with communication, psychosocial self-efficacy, resources and support for self-management and socio-demographics

Abstract

Aim: To examine the relationship between patient-provider communication, psychosocial patient self-efficacy, resources and support for self-management and socio-demographics within individualized care of older adults with diabetes.

Design: A quantitative study with a cross-sectional survey design.

Methods: Data were collected from September 2019 to January 2021 using: Individualized Care Scale, The Communication Assessment Tool, The Diabetes Empowerment Scale and The Resources and Support for Self-Management Scale. Patients with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus that were 65 years old and over (N = 145) participated in the study.

Results: The most positive aspects of patient-provider communication were respect and creating a comfortable environment for the patient. A significant relationship was observed between patients' perceptions and support of individualized care and diabetes-related measures. Effective communication was the main factor associated with support for individualizing care, and together with education level, empowerment and access to resources, explained 23% of the variance.

Keywords: communication; diabetes mellitus; individualized care; resources; self-efficacy; self-management.