Self-care Perception in Physicians and Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Naveen K Balakrishnan; Philip Day; Ronya Green; Inez Cruz; David Schneider; Neelima J Kale

doi:10.22454/PRiMER.2023.437650

Self-care Perception in Physicians and Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

PRiMER. 2023 Jun 26:7:20. doi: 10.22454/PRiMER.2023.437650. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Naveen K Balakrishnan¹, Philip Day², Ronya Green³, Inez Cruz⁴, David Schneider⁵, Neelima J Kale⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
² Department of Family and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA.
³ TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
⁴ UT Health San Antonio Family & Community Medicine, San Antonio, TX.
⁵ Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
⁶ Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Louisville, KY.

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to assess self-care perception consistency between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their physicians and characterize the psychosocial parameters influencing their respective perceptions.

Methods: We conducted a study of 627 patients with type 2 diabetes and their physicians throughout 12 family medicine residency clinics in Texas to analyze their respective perceptions of patient self-care. We utilized linear regression testing.

Results: There was a lack of consistency in self-care perception between patients and physicians 31.2% of the time. Patient self-care perception was best predicted by the patients' diabetes distress scores (P<.001) and last HbA1c (P<.001).

Conclusion: Measuring a patient's diabetes distress may help physicians better understand a patient's self-care perception. By understanding a patient's self-care perception, the physician may be able to explore these notions of positive or negative self-care perception and even gently correct them when necessary. This may allow physicians to better align themselves with the patient, provide behavioral health interventions, and better target and communicate effective plans.

Practical implications: We suggest periodic assessment of diabetes distress and self-care perception to inform the need for education to improve self-efficacy.