Non-attendance at diabetes education centres

Published: 25 April 2012

Muili Lawal, Senior Lecturer at University of West London, shares the findings of his study on non-attendance in diabetes education centres

Hospital non-attendance has been a recognised problem for a long time. To show the magnitude of the problem, nowadays it is common for health workers to display the number of failed appointments on the walls in casualty and other clinics.

Background

The paradigm shift in management of diabetes has moved from the basic disease model of the 1930s, which centred exclusively on treatment by health care professionals. Today, there is an integrated health care approach involving the patients (Diabetes UK, 2008), which stresses the importance of patient empowerment. Standard 3 of the National Service Framework for diabetes emphasises patient education and empowerment (DH, 2001). 

Aims

The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators to patient attendance in group education designed to promote self-care.

Method

A questionnaire, which contained both closed and open ended questions, was administered to elicit data from 207 newly-diagnosed diabetes patients who were referred for structured patient education. The patients were made up of 105 non-attendees and 102 attendees.

Results

The patients’ views were analysed by using SPSS software and the qualitative comments were categorised into themes. In comparison to 94 (92 per cent) defaulters, 35 (33 per cent) patients who attended the session either strongly agreed or agreed that attending the session was important to develop the ability to self-care. The results show a significant difference among the two groups (.000, p<0.05). A substantial number of respondents among the non-attendees n=43 (41 per cent) did not have flexible working arrangements compared to the attendees (n=24, 24 per cent).

Although more than half of the total number of respondents have family history of diabetes (n=112, 54 per cent), the majority were non-attendees (n=73, 65 per cent) showing a significant difference (.000, p<0.05) among the two groups. Key themes from qualitative data included personal difficulties, lack of motivation and health care practitioners’ influence.

Conclusion

The results were consistent with the findings of previous studies and suggest that the way an individual perceives the nature of diabetes and the proposed benefits of structured patient education does influence attendance.

References

Department of health (2001), National Service Framework for Diabetes, London
Diabetes UK (2008), The Changing Face of Diabetes. Available at www.diabetes.org.uk.annual-professional-conference-2009 (accessed December 18 2008)

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges Jan Durrant, Community Lead/Diabetes Specialist Nurse, King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor; and Anne Debowy, Community Diabetes Co-ordinator, Berkshire East PCT Diabetes Centre, King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor; for their support.