Issue 196 - June 27, 2009 www.diabeteshealth.com

Send to a Friend  |  Browse Cartoons & eCards

Non-compliance vs. diabetes self care: Are we still playing a blame game?

In 1993, I published an article entitled "Is non-compliance a dirty word?" in The Diabetes Educator in which I expressed my sadness that people with diabetes were actually getting blamed by their health care providers for not following treatment advice (1). I suggested that the patient's failure might really be a failure in the partnership (or lack thereof) between patient and provider.  Fifteen years ago, I challenged diabetes educators to work together with medical practitioners to change noncompliance from a dirty word to a rare occurrence. So how are we doing today?

From non-compliance to self-care

The diabetes lingo has gone from "non-compliance" to "non-adherence" to the inability to perform self-care, all to describe whether or not a patient with diabetes is following their prescribed regimen. No matter what we call it, the outcome is the same. The patient is not doing what we told them to do. The result can be the onset and progression of the complications of diabetes that we all know and dread. The consequences all belong to the patient, not us. My question to my fellow diabetes educators is: Whose regimen is it anyway? Are we taking the time to ask the patient how they choose to manage their diabetes? What are their goals? Have we presented both the benefits and the costs (time, money and energy) of the treatment we are recommending? Does the patient know how to follow their regimen safely and comfortably? Until we do this, the patient is not ready to be independent and perform self-care. Read more...

21 comments - Jun 18, 2009 -

Broccoli Salad Recipe

This is a nice salad to serve with a summer barbecue. It also makes a wonderful addition to a summer picnic.  Double the recipe to serve more people.

3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds (Optional)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup grated Cheddar, OR Monterey Jack Cheese

Mayonnaise Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp SPLENDA® Granular
1 tbsp lemon juice Read more...

0 comments - Jun 17, 2009 -