Behind the Curtain: Patients' Perceptions, Treatment Expectations and Behavior in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Self-management

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this qualitative study were to understand patients' diabetes perceptions and treatment experiences, and to explore the most common behavioral aspects related to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) self-management. Methods: We included 50 insulin-treated T2DM patients in the study. The semi-structured interview texts were analyzed using thematic analysis. The interview questions were organized around 3 major groups of questions focusing on the history of the disease, the current treatment regimen, and the ecological context of the treatment. Results: According to the results of our qualitative analysis, the emotional correlates dominated a significant proportion of responses of insulin-treated T2DM patients. Moreover, we stated that exploring and understanding diabetes-specific coping strategies, attitudes to insulin therapy, patients' treatment satisfaction and openness to new insulin delivery technologies are essential for providing professional support in diabetes treatment. Conclusion: The therapeutic behavior of insulin- treated T2DM patients is determined by the patients' emotional engagement with diabetes and treatment, and the effectiveness of the given diabetes-specific methods for coping with treatment-related difficulties.