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Men,
Smokers with Diabetes meet with Health-care
providers less often says Canadian study
Newswise — Men and smokers with Type 2
diabetes meet with health-care providers at
diabetes management centres less often to
monitor their illness, according to a new
study.
Attrition rates for diabetes self-management
programs are high,” says lead author and
Assistant Professor Enza Gucciardi, Ryerson
University’s School of Nutrition, “despite
potentially serious complications such as
cardiovascular disease, amputation, or
blindness if people with diabetes leave
their condition unmanaged.”
More than two million Canadians live with
diabetes.
Gucciardi found that men were 21 per cent
less likely than women to return to see
their health-care providers at the diabetes
education centres, and that smokers were 34
per cent less likely than non-smokers to use
diabetes education services.
The study’s co-authors were Margaret DeMelo
of Toronto Western Hospital, Gillian Booth,
George Tomlinson and Donna Stewart of
University of Toronto.
The researchers also discovered that
patients who were either unemployed, had a
lower body-mass index, lived closer to a
centre, or had a longer history of diabetes
stayed in contact more regularly with their
health professionals.
They studied 260 patients with Type 2
diabetes who attended one of two diabetes
management centres in Toronto for at least
one year after their initial visit.
The researchers examined patients’ personal
characteristics, such as age, sex,
education, marital status, social supports,
smoking habits, nutrition self-care,
body-mass index, number of symptoms and
years living with diabetes.
They also examined wait times for an initial
appointment, patients’ source of referral,
and whether or not their physicians
encouraged use of a diabetes management
centre.
“Diabetes self-management programs don’t fit
the ‘if-you-build-it-they-will-come’ model,”
says Gucciardi, who is also an affiliate
scientist at the University Health Network
Women's Health Program and the Toronto
General Hospital Research Institute.
“The question is: how do we provide useful
services so patients will come back?”
At the two diabetes management centres, the
researchers found that follow-up use of
their services varied significantly.
Patients followed up more often with their
health-care providers at the location that
offered flexible service hours and a variety
of optional educational courses.
Health professionals from that site also
sent orientation packages to patients before
their first visit.
They also distributed to patients
newsletters containing healthy recipes,
details about upcoming workshops and events,
and information on new drugs and
self-management issues.
Although further research is needed, says
Gucciardi, she believes these supportive
forms of communication may increase
patients’ retention in diabetes
self-management programs.
“Knowing the factors that affect a patient’s
decision to attend follow-up visits is
important,” says Gucciardi.
“We need diabetes management centres that
are flexible and can cater to people’s
unique needs.”
The study was published in the May issue of
Diabetic Medicine and was funded by the
Canadian Diabetes Association. Gucciardi
also received a doctoral scholarship from
the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
for the study.
Ryerson University is Canada's leader in
innovative career-focused education,
offering close to 90 PhD, master’s, and
undergraduate programs in the Faculty of
Arts; the Faculty of Communication & Design;
the Faculty of Community Services; the
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and
Science; and the Ted Rogers School of
Management. Ryerson University has graduate
and undergraduate enrolment of 26,500
students.
With more than 68,000 registrations
annually, The G. Raymond Chang School of
Continuing Education is Canada's leading
provider of university-based adult
education.
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