Medicina Comunitária e Educação em Saúde

Abstrato

Patient Perceptions of a Diabetes Group Visit Experience

Beth Careyva, Brooke Salzman, Ellen Plumb and Stephen B. Kern

Context: This study assesses patient experiences with a diabetes group visit program in terms of satisfaction and impact on diabetes self-management. Preliminary data have demonstrated that group visits are a useful model to improve chronic disease management, particularly diabetes. To date, however, there is scarce data regarding patients’ perceptions of these experiences.

Objective: To determine patients’ perceptions of their experiences with a diabetes group visit program as well as self-reported impact on diabetes management. Methods: The study involves a semi-structured interview administered over the phone to group visit attendants. Participation in the survey was voluntary, and the data was recorded without patient identifiers. Three experienced reviewers analyzed the results for emerging themes.

Results: Twenty-five patients were interviewed. Eighty-four percent of patients reported attending the group visit because they were referred by their primary care physician. Most of the patients surveyed (88%) had completed at least three out of four sessions involved in the group visit program. Most patients (92%) reported that the group visit program influenced health behaviors related to diabetes including eating habits, blood glucose monitoring, taking medications, and exercise. Ninety-two percent of patients stated that they obtained more information about how to manage their diabetes during the group visit program than they had during traditional visits with their primary care provider.

Conclusions: Group visits are an innovative and efficient tool for the dissemination of diabetes related self- management education and support. Patients were most likely to attend if encouraged to do so by their primary care provider and most found that attending the class changed disease related behaviors.