Abstract
Context: The views of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients have not been considered in the debate on the role of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in the management of T2DM. Objective: To assess the views of T2DM patients on SMBG. Methods: Two previously trained research assistants used a structured pre-tested questionnaire to interview 416 T2DM patients practising SMBG in out-patient clinics in the privacy of the patients after they have consented to be interviewed. Results: 79% of patients were unemployed with mean duration of diabetes of 11.8±0.5 year. 94% of patients did not have health insurance policies while 86% did not belong to any diabetes support group. Although 70% of the patients identified SMBG as expensive, 94% believed it assists glycaemic control, while 89% thought it was worth the expense. Conclusion: Caribbean T2DM patients believe SMBG was beneficial for the management of their diabetes and empowering them may reduce diabetes complications.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry |
| Volume | 118 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Pages (from-to) | 16-21 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISSN | 1381-3455 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2012 |
Keywords
- Cardiovascular disease
- Developing countries
- Diabetes complications
- Self-management
- Type 2 diabetes
