Factors affecting diabetes treatment and patient education among Latinos: results of a preliminary study in Chicago

• Published in: Journal of medical systems Vol. 20; no. 5; p. 267
• Main Authors: Lipton, R, Losey, L, Giachello, A L, Corral, M, Girotti, M H, Mendez, J J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1996
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ambulatory Care - standards; Chicago; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - prevention & control; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Services Research; Hispanic Americans; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Mexico - ethnology; Middle Aged; Patient Education as Topic - standards; Pilot Projects; Puerto Rico - ethnology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Chicago; Mexico; Puerto Rico
• ISSN: 0148-5598
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02257040

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a major health problem among Latinos, yet the quality of diabetes treatment among them has not been fully examined. A pilot study was conducted with adult diabetic patients for the purposes of describing their diabetes-related knowledge and behaviors and evaluating whether these patients were receiving effective outpatient care. Demographic data, health knowledge, and behavioral information was collected using face-to-face interviews with 101 patients diagnosed for at least 1 year at three primary care clinics. The medical record of each interviewee was abstracted for evidence that medical follow-up was being conducted with the recommended frequency. Most respondents spoke only or mostly Spanish, yet 14% of these patients reported that they had received instruction about diabetes in English alone. A majority of patients exhibited a basic understanding of their disease, and more than half reported positive health behaviors within the past year. Nonetheless, 54% of Puerto Rican Americans and 26% of Mexican-Americans had been admitted to the hospital or had used the emergency room for diabetes-related conditions. Recommended medical procedures were infrequently documented in clinic records. Diabetes education was available in Spanish, and patients appeared to have a basic knowledge of the disease process. However, recommended clinical follow-up was not uniformly provided. The large number of diabetes-related hospitalizations may be related to sub-optimal management among at least some of these patients.