Diabetes Self-management Study (DSS) - a demographic and clinical approach to patients' diabetes knowledge

Objective To investigate the overall level of patients' diabetes self-management knowledge (DSK) with respect to their clinical and demographic characteristics. The differences in DSK between cohorts based on their attendance at a diabetes education session were also examined. Design Descriptive, cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire Setting Diabetes Centre of a district general hospital in Birmingham, UK. Participants 300 diabetes mellitus patients Method Ethical approval was obtained from the South Birmingham Committee. Researchers distributed questionnaires to diabetes outpatients over three-weeks in May/June 2006 and collected the completed questionnaires. Main outcome measures Score of diabetes selfmanagement knowledge Results This study found a normal distribution of patients' DSK. Females had a significantly higher DSK than males. Increasing age correlated with reducing DSK. Combined ethnic minorities had a statistically significant lower DSK than the White population. There was no correlation between length of time since diabetes diagnosis and DSK. The association between attendance at an education session and better DSK was significant. Conclusion Findings from this study indicate the need for all diabetics to attend a diabetes education session, with emphasis on encouraging certain subpopulations to attend. A national register could be implemented to record patients' attendance at diabetes education sessions. This register should be used to monitor attendance at initial diagnosis and at a series of subsequent sessions spaced at regular intervals. The education provided must standardised to enable audit and evaluation of its effectiveness in improving diabetes self-management.