"I Do My Best To Listen to Patients": Qualitative Insights Into DAWN2 (Diabetes Psychosocial Care From the Perspective of Health Care Professionals in the Second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs Study).

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe the perspectives of diabetes care professionals regarding the roles and responsibilities of people with diabetes (PWD), health care professionals (HCPs), and the larger society to improve the provision of person-centered diabetes care. METHODS: The survey contained open-ended items about challenges of, successes of, and wishes for improvements in treating adults with diabetes. All responses were systematically coded using a schema developed and validated through multinational collaboration. FINDINGS: Participants were 4785 diabetes care professionals (physicians, nurses, and dietitians) from 17 countries. The data contained 2 distinct themes. One theme reflected the fact that the roles and responsibilities of HCPs are transitioning from those of one who "tells" to one who "listens" to PWD. Some ways that HCPs can "listen" to PWD and family members is to involve them in goals and to encourage self-management for the improvement of treatment. The second theme identified barriers to successful diabetes care, which include a lack of time and collaboration from HCPs, a lack of availability of resources for treatment, and a lack of psychosocial support. IMPLICATIONS: The views of diabetes care professionals are in transition from a conventional hierarchic approach to a PCC approach. Further adoption of this approach would be facilitated by additional psychosocial training and educational/psychological resources, increased teamwork, and societal changes that would make it easier for people to live successfully with diabetes.

Personal accounts of the negative and adaptive psychosocial experiences of people with diabetes in the second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the psychosocial experiences of diabetes, including negative accounts of diabetes and adaptive ways of coping from the perspective of the person with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 8,596 adults (1,368 with type 1 diabetes and 7,228 with type 2 diabetes) in the second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) study. Qualitative data were responses to open-ended survey questions about successes, challenges, and wishes for improvement in living with diabetes and about impactful experiences. Emergent coding developed with multinational collaborators identified thematic content about psychosocial aspects. The κ measure of interrater reliability was 0.72. RESULTS: Analysis identified two negative psychosocial themes: 1) anxiety/fear, worry about hypoglycemia and complications of diabetes, depression, and negative moods/hopelessness and 2) discrimination at work and public misunderstanding about diabetes. Two psychosocial themes demonstrated adaptive ways of coping with diabetes: 1) having a positive outlook and sense of resilience in the midst of having diabetes and 2) receiving psychosocial support through caring and compassionate family, friends, health care professionals, and other people with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: The personal accounts give insight into the psychosocial experiences and coping strategies of people with diabetes and can inform efforts to meet those needs and capitalize on strengths.