Patient-practitioner interactions in type 2 diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient-practitioner interaction and cardiovascular risk factor levels in type 2 diabetes: A qualitative study in primary care
IRAS ID
192841
Contact name
Hajira Dambha-Miller
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Cambridge
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ISRCTN86769081, ADDITION Internation Standard Ramonised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN); NCT00237549, ADDITION Clinical Trials.gov Identifier (NCT Number)
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, days
Research summary
Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke, amputations, blindness and kidney damage). Despite current efforts to reduce these risks, patients with diabetes still have poor health outcomes.
We know from previous studies that careful attention to cardiovascular risk factor levels including raised blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels can lower the risk of diabetes complications. There is evidence that patient-practitioner interactions may be an important in tool in lowering these risk factor levels. Patient-practitioner interaction refers to the content of consultations, and how doctors/nurses and patients relate to each other. When these interactions are personalised by taking into account the patient concerns or experiences, and encouraging patient participation in the consultation process, there is evidence that risk factor levels are lower and diabetes health outcomes are better.Although it seems logical that patient-practitioner interactions might lead to lower risk factors levels, the majority of evidence to support this is from observational studies and the mechanisms to explain this relationship have not been clearly established. Further research is needed. This study aims to interview GPs, nurses and patients with type 2 diabetes in order to gain insights into the potential mechanisms that could explain the association between patient-practitioner interaction and health outcomes. This will inform the design and development of future interventions that can be applied into clinical practice to improve care for diabetes patients.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EE/0057
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion