Table 2 Selection of patient comments
Q1 Advice you would give to newly diagnosed patients? | Q2 The most difficult part of managing diabetes since diagnosis? | Q3 Are there any questions you have about your diabetes or medications? | Q4 What advice would you give HCP for newly diagnosed? |
|---|---|---|---|
Seek all info until you feel confident to know what you have and how to treat diabetes and don’t settle for quick advice and pamphlet giving to move you along.(P 55) | Not being sure what is the difference in symptoms of ‘hypo’ or ‘hyper’ and what to do if you have them (P 34) | What is diabetes and how it actually works in the body. What is it lack of and how it can improve (P 32) | Take time and explain everything. Follow up at least a week or 2 after diagnosis so they can answer questions after the information sinks in, not at 3 months (P 13) |
Take all the information and services available, research on your own also talk to your whānau (P 90) | Information about medications and diet. Carbs are in everything. How am I supposed to not eat these? What should I eat instead? (P 114) | I would love some guidance around how to manage my diet and what kind of glucose levels I should be aiming at if I was to be checking after every meal. (P 40) | Please be kind and non judgemental. It is a shock to get a diagnosis & this is completely life changing and overwhelming. Don’t leave your patient on their own to deal with it, please follow up and check on their mental state and support them. (P 21) |
I dont know as I am still trying to find all of this myself.( P 19) | Understanding how to read my (glucose) levels. I have no idea (P 17) | Nope fully understand (P 118) | Realise there can be grief over not been able to eat the way they once could. That can be scary, and that suddenly everything has changed. (P 76) |
That there are support groups out there that will give all the information you need to help you manage your diabetes (P 98) | Trying to cut or stop eating sweet stuff and breads that’s the hardest for me. Plus, healthy stuff is mor expensive (P 27) | My doctor said something adjusting my meds when I’m sick. To be honest it was all pretty overwhelming and I didn’t really take in what she was saying. So I don’t know. | Make sure your patient understands the disease and all its ramifications, and the medication. Also, the need for a good diet and exercise plan. Also, where to find support systems. (P 125) |