Assessment of Knowledge of Self Care and Patient Satisfaction with Care in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria

Author(s):

David Adje*

Background: Many persons with diabetes are not achieving treatment goals due to inadequate knowledge and poor self-management skills. Assessment of diabetes patient’s knowledge and self-care skills could help design strategies to improve treatment outcomes.

Aim: To assess dietary and self-care knowledge of patients with type 2 diabetes and determine the level of satisfaction with care offered.

Materials and methods: A total of 130 patients with type 2 diabetes were consecutively recruited from the outpatient and medical wards. Knowledge of self-care and patient satisfaction were assessed using a 47 item validated pretested questionnaire and an 8 item patient satisfaction questionnaire respectively. Data analysis was done with the aid of Spss V16 and Graph pad Instat V2.05. Factor analysis was performed to determine appropriate components of patient satisfaction. Level of significance was set at p<0.05.

Results: More than one quarter, 47 (36.2%) were on insulin. More than half 82 (63.1%) were non-compliant with dietary recommendations. Knowledge of self-care was low (Mean total score 33.3%) Only 48 (36.9%) could correctly recognize symptoms of hypoglycemia. Only 51 (39.2%) were capable of taking the right action in situations where they were too unwell to eat. Majority, 126 (96.9%) were unaware that foot examination was important component of diabetic care. Patient satisfaction with care was high (mean 3.81, range 1-5) although there may be a need for improvement in the therapy management dimension.