Self Management Interventions for Coping With Diabetes

Diabetes Self-Management

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases that continue to affect a huge population and generating devastating effects on the patients' quality of life. Actually, this condition is a major life-threatening and progressive disease characterized by numerous complications that result in lower levels of quality of life for patients as it develops. Given its prevalence and devastating health effects, self-management of this condition is emerging as an important intervention for improving patients' quality of life in light of disease progression. Actually, the disease generates significant demands in relation to devoting more time to its management as a measure of enhancing patient outcomes.

As a result of the importance of self-management in enhancing patients' quality of life, several studies have been carried out regarding self-management practices for effective management of the condition. Researchers have carried out different studies on this issue given that self-management practices tend to be complex since they entail controlling several risk factors that may result in disease progression and further complications. These studies have been conducted on the premise that patient self-management training and practices is crucial towards enhancing quality of life since patients with this condition provide most of their own care. This research will conduct a literature review of studies in current literature regarding this topic. The researcher has identified four recent peer-reviewed articles i.e. within the last three years that precisely explain the pathophysiology of diabetes self-management.

Kisokanth et al. (2013) conducted a study on factors affecting self-management practices or interventions of diabetes mellitus in which they stated that complications of this disease are physiologically harmful. These researchers argue that diabetes mellitus can generate lifelong complications that harm different body organs if left uncontrolled (Kisokanth et al., 2013). They argue that self-management of this condition is geared towards normalizing blood glucose content and lessen the probability of long-term complications. Kueh et al. (2015) seemingly concurs with Kisokanth et al. (2013) by stating that diabetes is a life-threatening and progressive condition that is characterized by several complications, which results in lower levels of quality of life for patients. Kueh et al. (2015) argue that self-management is vital in dealing with complications associated with diabetes because the disease demands more time to its management in order to normalize blood sugar levels (p.2). These researchers state that self-management is an essential part of daily life for patients with this condition because some personal lifestyle factors have proven to be beneficial in better health with regards to quality of life for patients with this disease. Penn et al. (2014) concur with Kueh et al. (2015) by stating that self-management practices by patients with long-term conditions like diabetes in addition to primary care interventions are regarded as crucial elements for managing and optimizing desired health outcomes (p.1).

Penn et al. (2014) provide a model of self-management of diabetes in which the need for refocusing on individual tailoring of support that is in line with expressed needs about managing actions is highlighted (p.8). These researchers provide the model because of existing evidence that such support should optimally be provided during different stages of a patient's condition instead of focusing attention largely around the diagnosis stage. In this model, social support networks may also be crucial factors because of the significance of sharing experiences in a sustainable and long-term measure.

While Kueh et al. (2015) also provide a model of self-management of diabetes, they seemingly differ from Penn et al. (2014). Kueh et al. (2015) argue that the most suitable model of diabetes self-management should largely be based on diet, exercise, and having more positive attitudes (p.10). According to these researchers, these three elements have proven to generate higher levels of patient satisfaction in relation to quality of life as the disease progresses. As compared to diabetic patients who did incorporate these elements into their self-management practices, those who did reported higher levels of satisfaction in quality of life. They state that the adoption of this model is suitable because of the need to achieve the highest quality of life when coping with diabetes and its complications.

Kisokanth et al. (2013) concurs with Kueh et al. (2015) by stating that these elements of self-management of diabetes help patients to regularly monitor their levels of blood glucose and take suitable steps for normalizing their blood sugar with the required physiological level. However, they argue that this process can be realized through self-management education, social support, and self-evaluation. Self-management education is regarded as an important step for enhancing self-management practices since it enables diabetic patients to identify any barriers in this process and develop suitable measures for overcoming them.