engleski

Drug and medical information preferences in a sample of diabetic patients

Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia that may cause severe late complications and result in reduced life expectancy and considerable uptake of health resources.1 Many complications from diabetes can be avoided or delayed by appropriate treatment, which in turn may be affected by patients’ attitudes and behaviour towards treatment.2 Studies have shown that satisfaction with the interpersonal quality of the patient-provider relationship is significantly associated with adherence to treatment in diabetes.3 Previous studies have measured patients’ desire for information and have shown associations between this, socio-demographic variables and patient satisfaction.4,5 The aim of this study was to refine and further validate a patient-respondent scale to measure information desires and anxiety about illness using a sample of diabetic patients. The results can be used to improve the pharmaceutical care of this patient group. Method The sample consisted of patients with a diagnosis of either insulin (IDDM) or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Standardised interviews were conducted in out-patient diabetic clinics and on medical wards at a London teaching hospital. The questionnaire comprised three parts: socio-demographic variables, a quantitative set of 21 Likert-response items and 5 qualitative open questions. Responses were coded and analysed in the statistical software programs SPSS (quantitative) and QSR NUD*ISTv4 (qualitative). Results In total 101 patients were recruited and interviewed, of which NIDDM accounted for 62%. The mean age was 57 years. There were 54% male patients in the sample and 35% of patients who described their cultural background as non-white. The questionnaire items were explored using factor analysis, and the resultant structure matrix suggested one factor within each scale. For EID scale (extent of information desired) consisted of six items (reliability coefficient alpha = 0.7), and the AI scale (anxiety towards illness) five items (reliability coefficient alpha = 0.8). Significant associations were found between EID scale scores and age, marital status, occupation and educational qualified level (p<0.05). Patients who score low on the EID scale tend to be widowed, economically inactive and manual workers and with low educational qualifications. The AI scale scores were associated with ethnicity and occupation and separate non-white and lower socio-economic groups as more anxious about their diabetes. Conclusion This study has verified the use of the EID and AI scales as potentially valuable tools to measure desire for drug information and anxiety about the illness in diabetic patients. These two scales together can help health professionals to better target patients to provide appropriate medical information. This will increase patients’ satisfaction and better ensure their adherence to therapy. References 1. Gale E. A. M. and Anderson J. V., Diabetes mellitus and other disorders of metabolism. Clinical Medicine (Kumar P. and Clark M.). Third edition; 1994: 829. 2. Fitzgerald J. T., Gruppen L. D., Anderson R. M., Jacober S. J., Grunberger G., and Aman L. C., The influence of Treatment Modality and Ethnicity on Attitudes in Type 2 Diabetes, Diabetes Care 2000; 23 (3): 313-318. 3. Cichanowski P. S., Katon W. J., Russo J. E., and Walker E.A. The Patient-Provider Relationship: Attachment Theory and Adherence to Treatment in Diabetes. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158 (1): 29-35. 4. Astrom K., Carlsson J., Bates I., Webb D. G., Duggan C., Sanghani P., and McRobbie D., Desire for information about drugs. A multi-method study in general medical inpatients, Pharmacy World & Science 2000; 22 (4):159-164. 5. Duggan C. and Bates I., Development and evaluation of a survey tool to explore patients’ perceptions of their prescribed drugs and their need for drug information, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2000; 8: 42-52.

medical information; drug information; diabetic patient; patients' desire; pharmaceutical care

nije evidentirano