Espinoza P, Varela C, Campos S and Vargas I
Pontifical Catholic University, Chile
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Diabetes Metab
The World Health Organization shows a mortality of 1.6 million associated with diabetes mellitus II (DMII). In Chile, the prevalence about diabetes is 10.2% and treatment adherence 34.2%. A qualitative study was conducted to compare perceptions from patients and health providers of patientâ??s capacity to respond to DMII treatment workload. Using intentional sampling for three focus groups (FG) of 10 patients each and three GF with 12 health professionals, in three community health centers in Santiago. Content thematic analysis of patient narratives on treatment workload revealed four themes: the excess and complexity of medication treatment; the link between healthy eating and social isolation; the incompatibly of work and disease requirements, and the mismatch of exercise indications and patient life style. Patient capacity revealed four themes: family support influenced by machismo; informal education; cultural and social representations of the disease and support and advice from fellow patients. Same approach was used to examine health professional perceptions of treatment workload for patients, where three themes emerge: disorganization with medications; affinity with hyper caloric diet; and sedentary lifestyle. Finally, three themes arise from health providers perception of patientâ??s capacity to assume their workload: following cultural myths around the disease; cultural machismo favoring male patients, and lack of patient and family education. As conclusion, patient and health provider shared perceptions on difficulties to follow drug treatment and healthy eating but assume different reasons for explaining it. Patient and providers disagreed on the difficulties and needs to integrate the disease into the family, work and social level. An effective self-management and treatment adherence of patient with DMII requires an active collaboration and voluntary participation on a productive patient-provider relationship to facilitate shared decision making and compromise. This approach will help control the physical, emotional and social impact of the disease on the patientâ??s life. pespinoq@gmail.com
