[Facilitators of adherence to self-management in type 2 diabetic patients: a phenomenological study]

ABSTRACT

Diabetes is chronic disease affecting all aspects of daily life and hence is a priority health care strategy. Its treatment needs a bio-psychosocial approach. One of the major problems in its management is patient noncompliance to therapeutic regimens. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed at assessing to patient experiences of factors facilitating self-management. Patients were recruited from the "Glands and Metabolism Research Center" and "Alzahra hospital" in Isfahan in 2006. A purposive sample of 11 diabetic patients volunteered to participate in the study. Unstructured one-on-one interview were conducted and interview data were transcribed and analyzed for themes using the Collizi method. Themes, identified as facilitators to patient adherence to the therapeutic regimen are fear, satisfaction, support objective alarm, feedback. The research highlights that factors such as patient satisfaction of treatment, insight into nature of disease, patient anxiety, family involvement as a major source of support, feedback on test results and the self-management process should be considered in designing health care strategies to facilitate changes in behavior and enhance motivation