Customer quality and type 2 diabetes from the patients' perspective: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Quality in health care can be seen as having three principal dimensions: service, technical and customer quality. This study aimed to measure Customer Quality in relation to self-management of Type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of 577 Type 2 diabetes people was carried out in Australia. The 13-item Patient Activation Measure was used to evaluate Customer Quality based on self-reported knowledge, skills and confidence in four stages of self-management. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 13.0.


RESULTS
All participants achieved scores at the level of stage 1, but ten percent did not achieve score levels consistent with stage 2 and a further 16% did not reach the actual action stage. Seventy-four percent reported capacity for taking action for self-management and 38% reported the highest Customer Quality score and ability to change the action by changing health and environment. Participants with a higher education attainment, better diabetes control status and those who maintain continuity of care reported a higher Customer Quality score, reflecting higher capacity for self-management.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific capacity building programs for health care providers and people with Type 2 diabetes are needed to increase their knowledge and skills; and improve their confidence to self-management, to achieve improved quality of delivered care and better health outcomes.
Department of Management and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,  National Public Health Management Center, Tabriz- Iran.
Jafar S
JS
Tabrizi
Andrew J
AJ
Wilson
Peter K
PK
O'Rourke