Empowering Diabetes Patients Through Effective Education and Communication - Essay Sample

Introduction

Diabetes is a complex disease that a person has to manage on a day-to-day basis. In a bid to make lives easier for those living with diabetes, discussions have been on the rise in the mode of communication used in medical facilities. Diabetes education is one of the essential steps towards the effective management of the condition. Educating diabetes patients involves the use of language and communication. According to Dickinson et al. (2017), language is the driver for sharing knowledge and understanding. People interpret whatever they hear or read. Such interpretations affect their actions and views of disease. Dickinson et al. (2017) asserted that language is at the center of attitude change, stereotyping, intergroup bias, and social perceptions. The clarity of diabetes communication with patients can influence the abilities of patients in expressing their attitudes towards living with the disease. Therefore, the clarity of messages in diabetes care and insulin administration with patients is essential in effectively managing the condition.

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Accordingly, Heisler et al. (2002) emphasized the need for chronic disease experts to have a collaborative interaction style with the patients. Improved patient-provider communication and the process of shared decision-making yields patient satisfaction and foster adherence to treatment plans. Verbal communication is one of the aspects of interpersonal communication that is essential in enhancing effective treatment and management of diabetes. Improved communication leads to improved health outcomes, relief of symptoms, and higher incidences of self-reported health statuses. Similarly, Dickinson et al. (2017) indicated that the ‘Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes’ requires a communication technique centered on the patients when treating diabetes in patients. Such a communication technique should include active listening, eliciting of patient’s preferences and beliefs, and identification of barriers to health care.

Further, Patel et al. (2018) asserted that communication is a useful tool in the creation of a connection between health care providers and patients. Verbal communication is an activity involving the exchange of information. Mainly, verbal communication enables health personnel to identify a medical issue. Non-verbal communication is the emotional aspect of the interaction that a health provider has with a patient and includes signals relayed when a person speaks, stands, and acts. Notably, the functions of communications could have a direct or indirect effect on health outcomes. A form of interaction where a provider verbally discusses some of the critical concerns and sympathizes with a patient could yield a positive health outcome and overall emotional well-being (Patel et al., 2018). In addition to that, successful communication between health providers and caregivers improve satisfaction with care, and physicians develop friendliness with the patients.

Currently, diabetes is not only affecting older adults, as it was the case before but also affects the younger ones. Some children and youths in the world today have been diagnosed with diabetes. In a survey done by Patel et al. (2018), the results showed that 43% of the parents to the young people with diabetes claimed that communication was the primary barrier to adequate health care. The findings suggest the challenges experienced by caregivers to young and adolescent children with diabetes. The communication challenges hinder them from developing a healthy interaction with the health providers. In consequence, most of their questions and concerns are left unanswered.

Communication

Effective communication with parents and caregivers of pediatrics born with diabetes is essential due to the complexities of treatment required (Patel et al., 2018). Besides, most adolescents with diabetes perceive clinical visits as negative and stressful. Such negative connotations require useful information exchanges with health providers. In contrast, effective communication with the medical practitioners leads to enhance transmission of clinical data hence improving the understanding of the treatment plan selected.

A medication error is one of the leading causes of financial, emotional, and psychological distress to patients and health providers. Besides, it can cause death and severe injury to a patient. Li (2019) claimed that there had been a surge in research that focuses on how to prevent medication errors in different health settings. A large body of literature focuses on communication and positive interactions between patients and medical practitioners as the essential technique of reducing medication errors. In addition to that, Li (2019) indicated that insulin medication errors are common that other blunders made with different medicines. Insulin medication error has different health consequences. Such mistakes could have irreversible damage to a patient.

Insulin Administration

Insulin administration is often one of the self-care management techniques of diabetes. Truong et al. (2017) emphasized on the importance of proper education on insulin administration among patients, especially on the use of the devices. The use of insulin has different components that a user should familiarize themselves with (Spanakis et al., 2012). The components include the storage of insulin since it requires to be stored at a particular temperature. Other components are related to suspension, care of the injection site, the process of injection, skin folds, rotation of the injection site, needle length, and use (Truong et al., 2017). Other vital processes that a diabetic person should familiarize him or herself with when using insulin include the complications that could result from an injection, monitoring of blood sugar levels, hypoglycemia, and disposal of the injection material. The amount and quality of information given to a patient when initiating insulin could hinder a patient’s ability to retain all the information taught. In a study conducted by Truong et al. (2017), 21% of the participants claimed that the lack of knowledge was one of the reasons for insulin medication errors. Effective communication on diabetes care and insulin administration would help in minimizing most of the insulin medication errors that include injecting on the same site, reuse of a needle, and injecting on clothes, to mention a few. From this, one can see the importance of proper education and re-education on self-care management of diabetes using insulin in a bid to reduce medication errors.

Some barriers hinder effective self-care communication hence lowering patient adherence to the treatment described. Time is one of the barriers to self-care communication. According to Beverly et al. (2016), the time that a physician spends when discussing self-care management techniques with patients varies from one to seventeen minutes. With this in mind, the time that a physician spends with one patient lowers. Other hindrances include the lack of collaboration and teamwork between patients and medical providers. Resource constraints and the lack of psychosocial support for people living with diabetes also cause communication barriers. Some physicians feel that they do not have intense training to educate psychosocial issues facing patients with diabetes. Beverly et al. (2016) argued that such perceptions might make a physician feel overwhelmed and frustrated with the relationship they have with a patient. As such, this could hinder effective open self-care communication.

Notably, effective communication between a physician and a patient is supported by continued care, a secure style of attachment, mutual understanding, and shared goals (Beverly et al., 2016). Useful communication techniques between a physician and a patient lead to the formation of a bond characterized by confidence and trust. Trust is critical in physician-patient communication. The existence of communication barriers hinders the goals mentioned above from been achieved desirably. Beverly et al. (2016) proposed some techniques that could help in boosting self-care communication between physicians and patients with diabetes. The best practices include direct and non-accusatory communication from health providers and regularly providing patients with hope (Truong et al., 2017). Mainly, this helps in improving self-care communication with patients. When self-communication exists, patients trust the physicians more. Thus, they are likely to adhere to the self-care measures, as directed by health care providers.

Additionally, a motivational interview, which is a non-judgmental style of communication, explores the intrinsic motivation of a patient and encourages positive behavior change. The belief to change is often transformed based on the relationship that exists between patients and medical practitioners. Motivational interviewing is a method that focuses on the patients and empowers their ability and responsibility to make decisions related to healthcare. In such cases, a physician supports the autonomy of a patient. Truong et al. (2017) claimed that motivational interviewing improves self-care actions and behaviors. As such, patients could adhere to the regulations on insulin injections as required by a doctor. Besides, patients could express their questions and concerns freely to a doctor hence allowing health providers to address them. Eventually, the health outcomes of a patient improve, and the overall satisfaction increases.

Conclusion

To conclude, diabetes is one of the life-threatening conditions in the world today that requires intensive management. Self-care management, such as insulin injection, is one of the recommended treatment therapies for people living with diabetes. Communication is essential since it allows for the formation of trust and a long-lasting bond between patients and physicians. Communication should be non-judgmental, non-accusatory, and directive. Motivational interviewing is one of the techniques for improving self-care communication among patients with diabetes. The conclusion derived is that effective communication improves the clarity of messages when discussing diabetic care and insulin administration.

References

Beverly, A. E, Worley, F. M., Court, B. A., Prokopakis, E. K., & Ivanov, N. N. (2016). Patient-physician communication and diabetes self-care. Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management, 23(11). https://www.mdedge.com/jcomjournal/article/146123/diabetes/patient-physician-communication-and-diabetes-self-care

Dickinson, J. K., Guzman, S. J., Maryniuk, M. D., O’Brian, C. A., Kadohiro, J. K., Jackson, R. A., D’Hondt, N., Montgomery, B., Close, K. L., & Funnell, M. M. (2017). The use of language in diabetes care and education. Diabetes Care, 40(12), 1790–1799. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci17-0041

Heisler, M., Bouknight, R. R., Hayward, R. A., Smith, D. M., & Kerr, E. A. (2002). The relative importance of physician communication, participatory decision making, and patient understanding in diabetes self-management. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 17(4), 243–252. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2002.10905.x

LI, J. (2019). Reducing insulin administration errors in inpatients from a nursing perspective: A literature review. American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research, 6(2), 147–151. https://doi.org/10.34297/ajbsr.2019.06.001016

Patel, J. N., Datye, A. K., & Jaser, S. S. (2018). Importance of Patient–Provider Communication to Adherence in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. Healthcare, 6(2), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare6020030