title: Exploring the meaning of hypoglycaemia to community-dwelling Singaporean Chinese adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: This study aimed to explore how community-dwelling Singaporean Chinese adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus experience hypoglycaemia. A qualitative interpretive research design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants from a Singaporean diabetes specialist outpatient clinic, transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative manual thematic analysis. Eight major themes emerged: experiencing symptoms, knowing hypoglycaemia is manageable, using acute measures, using preventative strategies; applying knowledge, identifying causes of hypoglycaemia, forming relationships and working with health-care professionals. Participants underestimated the impact of hypoglycaemia mainly due to their experiencing mild and infrequent episodes, and knowledge deficits. Health-care professionals' roles were limited to information providers, and they were perceived as detached and impersonal. Theimplications are that health-care professionals need to provide more client-focused education, and improve the quality of their interpersonal relationships to ensure shared decision-making with their clients.
authors.affiliation: National University Hospital Collaborating Centre, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. pamelatan.pt@gmail.com
authors.forename: Pamela Shu-Xian
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Hui-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Beverley Joan
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Desley Gail
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hegney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy