Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey
Introduction The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has radically compromised healthcare for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Government-imposed restrictions to contain the spread of the virus have forced people to suddenly adjust their lifestyle. This study aimed to capture the im...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2021-03-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care |
| Online Access: | https://drc.bmj.com/content/9/1/e002162.full |
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| author | Aidan Searle Clare England Sarah Sauchelli Julia Bradley Alex Whitmarsh |
| author_facet | Aidan Searle Clare England Sarah Sauchelli Julia Bradley Alex Whitmarsh |
| author_sort | Aidan Searle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has radically compromised healthcare for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Government-imposed restrictions to contain the spread of the virus have forced people to suddenly adjust their lifestyle. This study aimed to capture the impact of the pandemic on people living with diabetes and the views of these individuals on ways in which the information, advice and support they are receiving could be improved.Research design and methods An online anonymous survey was distributed across the UK during the first lockdown and initial easing. The survey comprised questions about confidence in diabetes self-management, resources used to obtain information, advice and support, and opinions on how these could be improved. Open-ended questions captured subjective experiences.Results The survey was completed by 773 adults with diabetes (69.2% type 1, 28.5% type 2). There was notable variability in the impact of the pandemic on confidence in self-management, with confidence having deteriorated most commonly in the ability to take care of own mental well-being (37.0% respondents) and improved most commonly in maintaining a healthy weight (21.1% respondents). 41.2% of respondents living alone reported not receiving any outside support. The quality of information, advice and support received from the healthcare team was rated poorly by 37.2%. Respondents sought greater communication and tailored advice from their care team, clear and consistent information from the government and news channels, and improved understanding of diabetes and its challenges from their personal networks and employers.Conclusion Adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic has strained the mental health and well-being of people living with diabetes. Diabetes care teams must receive assistance to support these individuals without risking further inequalities in access to healthcare. Equipping personal networks and employers with knowledge on diabetes and skills to support self-management may reduce the burden on the National Health Service. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-884f3e0d2e864ec580abbc586d197d2d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2052-4897 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-884f3e0d2e864ec580abbc586d197d2d2025-08-20T02:34:32ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care2052-48972021-03-019110.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002162Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK surveyAidan Searle0Clare England1Sarah Sauchelli2Julia Bradley3Alex Whitmarsh4School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UKNIHR Bristol BRC, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKNIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals of Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, UKNational Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals of Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, UKNational Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre; University Hospitals of Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, UKIntroduction The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has radically compromised healthcare for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Government-imposed restrictions to contain the spread of the virus have forced people to suddenly adjust their lifestyle. This study aimed to capture the impact of the pandemic on people living with diabetes and the views of these individuals on ways in which the information, advice and support they are receiving could be improved.Research design and methods An online anonymous survey was distributed across the UK during the first lockdown and initial easing. The survey comprised questions about confidence in diabetes self-management, resources used to obtain information, advice and support, and opinions on how these could be improved. Open-ended questions captured subjective experiences.Results The survey was completed by 773 adults with diabetes (69.2% type 1, 28.5% type 2). There was notable variability in the impact of the pandemic on confidence in self-management, with confidence having deteriorated most commonly in the ability to take care of own mental well-being (37.0% respondents) and improved most commonly in maintaining a healthy weight (21.1% respondents). 41.2% of respondents living alone reported not receiving any outside support. The quality of information, advice and support received from the healthcare team was rated poorly by 37.2%. Respondents sought greater communication and tailored advice from their care team, clear and consistent information from the government and news channels, and improved understanding of diabetes and its challenges from their personal networks and employers.Conclusion Adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic has strained the mental health and well-being of people living with diabetes. Diabetes care teams must receive assistance to support these individuals without risking further inequalities in access to healthcare. Equipping personal networks and employers with knowledge on diabetes and skills to support self-management may reduce the burden on the National Health Service.https://drc.bmj.com/content/9/1/e002162.full |
| spellingShingle | Aidan Searle Clare England Sarah Sauchelli Julia Bradley Alex Whitmarsh Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care |
| title | Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey |
| title_full | Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey |
| title_fullStr | Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey |
| title_short | Exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a UK survey |
| title_sort | exploring support needs of people living with diabetes during the coronavirus covid 19 pandemic insights from a uk survey |
| url | https://drc.bmj.com/content/9/1/e002162.full |
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