The Health Professionals’ Views on Support and Perception of Individualized Care for Older Persons with Diabetes: Changes after the Education
Patient-centered care becomes an important target for health care organizations because of the national and regional health care policy changes and the new incentives to address the high-quality care to all populations. The high-quality and effective health care have to be focused on population needs and patient-centered approach of care provision. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in health professionals’ views and perception of individualized care for older
adults with diabetes after the educational intervention.
Methods. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional survey design was conducted at 10 health care institutions where diabetes care for patients was provided. The Individualised Care Scale (the nurse version) was applied. In total, 126 nurses and physicians participated in the survey before the education and 70 of them responded after it.
Results. After the intervention, support and perception of individualized care among participants were rated differently (P = 0.029): after education, the overall score for perception was higher than for the support for individual care. Moreover, after intervention, nurses and physicians, as one group, rated the perception of individualized care on the personal life situation (P = 0.046) and decisional control over care (P = 0.037) subscales significantly higher than the support for care individuality on these two subscales. Physicians scored the perception of individuality during the decisional control over care significantly higher than before education (P = 0.040).
Conclusions. The education on patient-centered care for health care professionals revealed changes in professionals’ perception of individuality in care they provide for older persons with diabetes, particularly when dealing with patient’s personal life situation and decisional control over care. Health professionals need to pay more attention during diabetes care for discussing matters of patient’s personal life situation, their preferences, and decisions about family involvement into care.
Correspondence to . Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Hospital, Josvainių 2, LT-47144 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: birute.bartkeviciute@lsmuni.lt