The emotional impact of being diagnosed with diabetes, the cost of both visiting a doctor and medication, busy lives and feelings of shame all contribute to people with diabetes not taking their medication properly, according to research from the University of Otago.

The researchers wanted to gain a greater perspective on what helped and hindered people living with diabetes manage their condition.

They interviewed 10 Maori, 10 Pacific Islander and 10 non-Pacific Islander people with diabetes who had started the metformin, which is a common treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Participants highlighted the importance of developing and maintaining good relationships with their health practitioner.

Maori and Pacific Islander participants, emphasised the importance of having healthcare providers who shared their cultural identity and language.

Lead author Professor Lianne Parkin from the Department of Preventative and Social Medicine and Pharmacoepidemiology Research Network says the study is important to discover the challenges people face with diabetes management.

“For example, healthcare providers may attribute patients’ sub-optimal adherence and persistence to a lack of motivation and insufficient understanding of the physiological and biomedical aspects of type 2 diabetes, whereas broader personal, social and practical challenges are often foremost for people living with type 2 diabetes. Such differences have obvious implications for developing effective interventions to enhance medication adherence and persistence.”

Key points:

• Delays in accepting the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes had a negative effect on people’s diabetes management.
• Participants highlighted the importance of people with diabetes developing and maintaining good relationships with healthcare provider relationships and the importance of health professionals tailoring communication styles to the person with diabetes.