Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND): process modelling of pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of a structured education program on illness beliefs, quality of life and physical activity in people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
Individuals attending a diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) program in 12 Primary Care Trusts completed questionnaire booklets assessing illness beliefs and quality of life at baseline and 3-month follow-up, metabolic control being assessed through assay of HbA1c.


RESULTS
Two hundred and thirty-six individuals attended the structured self-management education sessions, with 97% and 64% completing baseline and 3-month follow-up questionnaires. At 3 months, individuals were more likely to: understand their diabetes; agree it is a chronic illness; agree it is a serious condition, and that they can affect its course. Individuals achieving a greater reduction in HbA1c over the first 3 months were more likely to agree they could control their diabetes at 3 months (r=0.24; p=0.05), and less likely to agree that diabetes would have a major impact on their day to day life (r=0.35; p=0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Pilot data indicate the DESMOND program for individuals newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes changes key illness beliefs and that these changes predict quality of life and metabolic control at 3-month follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Newly diagnosed individuals are open to attending self-management programs and, if the program is theoretically driven, can successfully engage with the true, serious nature of diabetes.
Skinner
T Chas
TC
School of Psychology & School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. t.c.skinner@soton.ac.uk
Carey
Marian E
ME
Cradock
Sue
S
Daly
Heather
H
Davies
Melanie J
MJ
Doherty
Yvonne
Y
Heller
Simon
S
Khunti
Kamlesh
K
Oliver
Lindsay
L
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017145:Models, Educational; D017146:Models, Organizational; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011209:Power, Psychological; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012107:Research Design; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires