In the April 4, 2009 issue of Diabetes Care (Vol 32, Number 4) a fascinating report was released by Dr.s Mann, Ponieman, Leventhal and Halm on the subject of the inner city diabetic patients knowledge and beliefs about the disease and medications that could hinder optimal disease management.

Misconceptions about diabetes were common.

1. Twelve percent of the patients thought they only had diabetes when their blood glucose levels were high, and 36% said they will not always have diabetes.
2. More than half thought their blood glucose levels were not high until they reached greater than 200mg/dl.
3. Over half of the participants thought then can feel when their glucose levels are high.
4. Almost 1/3 of the patients expected their doctors to cure them of diabetes.
5. Half of the patients felt the consequences of diabetes are minimal, that they had little control over their diabetes and that diabetes had few symptoms.
6. Only 1/3 of the patients had heard of the A1c test.
7. Twenty three percent of these patients thought they did not need to take medication if the blood glucose levels were normal.

What we need to learn from this reports is that despite long standing and regular outpatient diabetes care, these patients hold beliefs regarding their diabetes and the medications that are inconsistent with the chronic care of diabetes.

Diabetes is a complex disease that requires monitoring on multiple systemic problems and multiple medications and there is still great needs and great opportunities to educate patients.

-drhinkes