B Wössmer | Search PubMed

PubMed1997

Psychological and metabolic improvement after an outpatient teaching program for functional intensified insulin therapy (FIT).

To be the master of their disease and not its slave is the ultimate goal of many patients with diabetes. Intensified functional insulin therapy (FIT) helps to establish this goal by an intensive patient education: each patient learns in five small-group sessions how s/he reacts to standardized challenges of glucose homeostasis (e.g. 24 h fasting; physical exercise; various carbohydrate loads). We investigated in 43 patients with long-standing diabetes type 1 (mean age: 33 +/- 10 years; mean duration of diabetes: 15 +/- 10 years) whether FIT improves quality of life, influences metabolic control and doctor-patient relationship. The following instruments were used: diabetes specific quality of life questionnaire (DQOL), hierarchical distance and cohesion between doctor and patient (FAST), anxiety and depression (HAD). Pre and post intervention values were compared with paired t-tests. HbA1c and number of hypoglycaemic episodes were also assessed 1 year after FIT and 1 year prior to FIT. Metabolic control was improved: HbA1c in the year before FIT: 6.72 +/- 1.35; 4 months before FIT: 6.61 +/- 1.46; 4 months after FIT: 6.29 +/- 1.09 (P < 0.05 compared to 4 months before FIT); 1 year after FIT: 6.46 +/- 1.12 (n.s. compared to 1 year before FIT). Dissatisfaction with life decreases from 33.3 +/- 8.0 to 28.5 +/- 7.7 (P < 0.001). Moments free of disease-specific strain increase from 74.3 +/- 13.9 to 78.1 +/- 16.1 (P = 0.07). Hierarchical distance between doctor and patient decreases from 1.1 +/- to 0.6 +/- 0.8 (P < 0.001), cohesion increases from 9.3 +/- 1.5 to 9.9 +/- 1.1 (P < 0.001). Anxiety and depression both decreases significantly: anxiety, 6.5 +/- 3.3-->4.6 +/- 3.2 (P < 0.001); depression, 2.7 +/- 2.5-->1.5 +/- 1.6 (P < 0.001). The number of patients with severe hypoglycaemic episodes (level 4) decreases from five (11.6%) to one (2.3%) after intervention (P < 0.05). In conclusion, FIT enhances quality of life in diabetic individuals. It helps to establish a less hierarchical and closer relationship between patient and doctor as revealed by the FAST data. It should be emphasized that the psychological improvements are not achieved at the expense of less strict metabolic control.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Improving communication skills--a randomized controlled behaviorally oriented intervention study for residents in internal medicine.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether patient-centered communication skills can be taught to residents in Internal Medicine by using a time-limited behaviorally oriented intervention. METHOD: Residents working at the Department of Internal Medicine were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG; N = 19) or a control group (CG; N = 23). In addition to 6 hours of standard medical education per week, the IG received specific communication training of 22.5 hours duration within a 6-month period. Initially and 10 months later, participants performed interviews with simulated patients. Interviews were rated by blinded raters who used the Maastricht History and Advice Checklist-Revised. RESULTS: Compared with the CG, the IG improved substantially in many specific communication skills. Both groups improved in the "amount of medical information identified" and in the ability to "communicate about feasibility of treatment." CONCLUSION: Patient-centered communication skills such as those presented in this intervention study can be taught. The ability to gain medical information and the readiness to communicate about aspects of medical treatment seem to improve with more professional experience; however, they also profit from the intervention.

Adult↗