Family Practice Advance Access originally published online on March 2, 2009
Family Practice 2009 26(2):102-108; doi:10.1093/fampra/cmp007
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Treatment satisfaction of diabetic patients: what are the contributing factors?
a Department of Family Medicine, Siaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences
b Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
c Center for Studies in Family Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
d Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv
e Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Correspondence to Aya Biderman, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Email: sbider{at}netvision.net.il
Received 31 March 2008; Revised 18 December 2008; Accepted 1 February 2009.
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Abstract |
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Background. Treatment satisfaction is an important factor of quality of care, especially in treating chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Identifying factors that independently influence treatment satisfaction may help in improving clinical outcomes.
Objective. To find the relationship between treatment satisfaction of diabetic patients and socio-demographic, clinical, adherence, treatment and health perception factors.
Methods. Patients were interviewed by telephone about their socio-demographic parameters, health status, clinical data and treatment factors. The Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) was used to measure satisfaction and adherence. This is a cross-sectional study, as part of a larger study of chronic patients in Israel. Subjects were randomly selected diabetes patients. The main outcome measures were DTSQ levels. A multivariate linear regression model was constructed to identify factors independently associated with patients’ satisfaction.
Results. In all, 630 patients were included in the study. Multivariate analysis indicated that demographic parameters (e.g. female gender, P = 0.036), treatment factors (e.g. type of medication, P < 0.001), adherence factors (e.g. difficulty attending follow-up or taking medications, P < 0.001) and clinical factors (e.g. diabetes complications, P < 0.01) were independently associated with lower treatment satisfaction.
Conclusions. Treatment satisfaction is lower among diabetic patients who have a lower educational level, who are insulin treated or have a diabetic complication and is related to difficulties in taking medications and coming to follow-up visits. Addressing the specific needs of these patients might be effective in improving their satisfaction, thus having a positive influence on other clinical outcomes.
Keywords. Diabetes mellitus, health status, patient satisfaction, primary health care, quality of health care.
Biderman A, Noff E, Harris SB, Friedman N and Levy A. Treatment satisfaction of diabetic patients: what are the contributing factors? Family Practice 2009; 26: 102–108.