[What do diabetic patients and what should they do to avoid errors in the course of treatment?].
OBJECTIVE
To report the precautions taken by diabetic patients to avoid treatment errors and to provide advice to increase their safety.


METHODS
A descriptive study of patients' behaviors to minimize errors and tips by professionals to improve safety. Ninety-nine insulin-treated patients were randomly recruited from 3 primary healthcare centers and 2 hospitals. An opportunity sample of 33 doctors and nurses was also surveyed.


RESULTS
Information of all prescriptions (p = 0.005), review of doubts before the visit (p = 0,009), and diet adherence (p = 0.02) were the only precautions reported by patients that related to a lower number of patient errors. Female patients better follow at home instructions for blood glucose monitoring (odds ratio 0.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-0.6) and use pillboxes to avoid errors (odds ratio 0.23; 95% CI 0.1-0.6) more frequently than male patients. Male patients more commonly carry with them a card with information about allergies (odds ratio 5.03; 95% CI 1.4-17.5). Patients with a longer course of disease tend to withhold information about other treatments from their doctors (β -15.8; 95% CI -23.2-8.4). For healthcare professionals, safety may increase if patients: play a more active role in their treatment (91%), and inform their doctors about their different treatments (88%).


CONCLUSIONS
Promotion of patient autonomy, improved communication to patients, and systematic information about the most common medication errors may contribute to patient safety.
Departamento de Psicología de la Salud, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, España. jose.mira@umh.es
José Joaquín
JJ
Mira
Susana
S
Lorenzo
Julián
J
Vitaller
Emilio
E
Ignacio-García
Jesús
J
Aranaz
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires