Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey

Autor: Clare England, Julia Bradley, Aidan Searle, Alex Whitmarsh, Sarah Sauchelli
Rok vydání: 2021
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Zdroj: BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care
Sauchelli, S, Bradley, J R, England, C Y, Searle, A J & Whitmarsh, A 2021, ' Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey ', BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, vol. 9, no. 1, e002162 . https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002162
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, Vol 9, Iss 1 (2021)
ISSN: 2052-4897
DOI: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002162
Popis: Background The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has radically compromised healthcare for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Government-imposed restrictions to contain the spread of the virus has forced people to suddenly adjust their lifestyle. This study aimed to capture the impact of the pandemic on people living with diabetes and the views of these individuals on ways in which the information, advice and support they are receiving could be improved. Research design and methods An online anonymous survey was distributed across the UK during the first lockdown and initial easing. The survey comprised questions about confidence in diabetes self-management, resources used to obtain information, advice and support, and opinions on how these could be improved. Open-ended captured subjective experiences. Results The survey was completed by 773 adults living with diabetes (69.2% type 1, 28.5% type 2). There was notable variability in the impact of the pandemic on confidence in self-management, with confidence having deteriorated most commonly in the ability to take care of own mental wellbeing (37.0% respondents) and improved most commonly in maintaining a healthy weight (21.1% respondents). 41.2% of respondents living alone reported not receiving any outside support. The quality of information, advice and support received from the healthcare team was rated poorly by 37.2%. Respondents sought greater communication and tailored advice from their care team, clear and consistent information from the government and news channels, and improved understanding of diabetes and its challenges from their personal networks and employers. Conclusion Adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic has strained the mental health and wellbeing of people living with diabetes. Diabetes care teams must receive assistance to support these individuals without risking further inequalities in access to healthcare. Equipping personal networks and employers with knowledge on diabetes and skills to support self-management may reduce the burden on the NHS. Significance of this study What is already known about this subject? The COVID-19 pandemic has posed multiple challenges to the everyday life of people across the world. People living with diabetes mellitus, particularly those with poor blood glucose are more vulnerable to developing the severe outcomes of COVID-19. NHS prioritisation of COVID-19 has disrupted the availability of care for patients with chronic health conditions, including diabetes mellitus. What are the new findings? The pandemic generated a decrease in confidence in diabetes self-management, particularly regarding mental wellbeing (37.0%) and adhering to physical activity recommendations (32.0%) and a healthy eating pattern (29.6%). Greater access to the healthcare team and services, strategies to adjust self-care (with greater focus on mental health) and more external support are deemed as important to reinstate diabetes self-management. Cancellation of appointments reduced patients’ access to knowledge on their glucose control and their confidence in diabetes self-management, it generated difficulties in switching between treatments and resulted in impoverished mental health and motivation to self-manage. 41.2% of respondents living alone report not receiving support from outside their household. Quality of information, advice and support received from the government and healthcare teams were perceived most poorly (% of respondents giving a rating of poor or very poor: 39.0% and 37.2% respectively). There is a request for greater transparency, higher quality information, improved contact, and an increased understanding of the condition by others. How might these results change the focus of research or clinical practice? There is a need to ensure equitable contact between healthcare teams and their patients, both for diabetes self-management and overall wellbeing. A shift to remote consultations should include training practitioners to detect emotional distress in patients and the ability to refer patients to NHS or community-led mental health support. A collective effort is needed to produce more stratified and consistent guidance, with clear messaging to minimise uncertainty and distress. Further research and policy are needed to help patients identify a support network outside their direct care team and equip them with the knowledge and skills to provide adequate support. Greater understanding on how some individuals were able to adjust their self-management successfully could assist care teams, relevant charities and policy makers to provide better support for those individuals who are struggling.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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