Couples with diabetes and health-care providers: a grounded theory of preferential relating.
BACKGROUND
A collaborative health-care relationship is considered critical in managing chronic illness like diabetes. Poorly controlled diabetes can greatly diminish one's quality of life and lead to severe complications or even death.


BACKGROUND
Understanding how to improve the relationship between patients and their providers supports improved diabetes health outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
We conducted a grounded theory study to examine the types of relationships that diabetic patients and their spouses prefer to form with their health-care providers.


RESULTS
The analysis of in-depth interviews with 18 diabetic couples reveals four major relationship preferences that differ by the nature of caregiving and decision-making power demonstrated by the physician.


CONCLUSIONS
Using illustrative examples, we show how the type of health-care relationship couples prefer is explained by their connection with one another and suggest implications for practitioners that expand current collaborative models of care.
Marital and Family Therapy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
Stephanie I
SI
Falke
Marriage and Family Therapy, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA.
Lindsey
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4691-812X
L
Lawson
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D018454:Spouses
chronic; decision making; diabetes; health care; illness and disease; medical family therapy; patient-provider; relationships