Shared decision‐making across the specialties: Much potential but many challenges

Shared decision‐making (SDM) is a collaborative process through which patients and clinicians work together to arrive at a mutually agreed‐upon treatment plan. The use of SDM has gathered momentum, with it being legally mandated in some areas; however, despite being a ubiquitously applicable intervention, its maturity in use varies across the specialties and requires an appreciation of the nuanced and different challenges they each present. It is therefore our aim in this paper to review the current and potential use of SDM across a wide variety of specialties in order to understand its value and the challenges in its implementation. The specialties we consider are Primary Care, Mental Health, Paediatrics, Palliative Care, Medicine, and Surgery. SDM has been demonstrated to improve decision quality in many scenarios across all of these specialties. There are, however, many challenges to its successful implementation, including the need for high‐quality decision aids, cultural shift, and adequate training. SDM represents a paradigm shift towards more patient‐centred care but must be implemented with continued people centricity in order to realize its full potential.     

Shared decision‐making in mental and behavioural health interventions

Elements of shared decision‐making (ie, collaboration, patient preferences, and working alliance) have long been discussed and studied in the field of clinical psychology; however, research indicates that shared decision‐making is not typically used in clinical practice. Instead, clinicians often rely on a paternalistic approach. In this article, we provide a narrative review of the existing research supporting shared decision‐making for mental and behavioural health concerns, we discuss several barriers that impede its use in actual clinical practice, and we provide recommendations for increasing shared decision‐making when working with patients.     

Decision‐making preference and opportunity in VA ambulatory care patients: Association with patient satisfaction

Using data from the Veterans Health Study, associations were examined for decision‐making preference, decision‐making opportunity, and satisfaction with medical care among a sample of 266 men who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ambulatory health care services. Results indicated that veterans with a high preference for involvement in decision‐making and low provider‐offered decision‐making opportunities had significantly lower satisfaction with medical care compared to veterans with either low preference for decision‐making involvement with high or low opportunity, or those with a high decision‐making preference and high decision‐making opportunity. The findings suggest that health care providers may increase patient satisfaction with medical care by providing opportunities for decision‐making to patients who prefer involvement in their health care decision‐making. Provider strategies for increasing patient decision‐making involvement are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 22: 39–48, 1999.     

Self‐efficacy and self‐care behavior of Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross sectional survey

This study investigated the association between self‐efficacy and self‐care behavior to determine the degree of self‐efficacy and to examine differences in self‐efficacy according to patient variables, including state of health, of Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes. The sample comprised 388 patients (respondents). We collected the data from December 2010 to February 2011. We found a significant positive relationship between self‐efficacy and self‐care behavior (r_s = 0.481, P < 0.001). The degree of self‐efficacy was moderately high (mean = 7.570). We found significant differences between self‐efficacy and education level (Wilk's Lambda = 0.918, F[12, 1008] = 2.779, P < 0.05), duration of diabetes (Wilk's Lambda = 0.954, F[8, 736] = 2.264, P < 0.05), other chronic conditions (Wilk's Lambda = 0.967, F[4, 383] = 3.304, P < 0.05) and diabetic complications (Wilk's Lambda = 0.963, F[4, 383] = 3.653, P < 0.05). Self‐efficacy can be used as a model to understand self‐care behavior. Individualized nursing interventions based on self‐efficacy theory should be utilized in high risk diabetic patients so as to assist and improve self‐care behavior.     

Factors influencing diabetes self-management in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes

Patients with diabetes must incorporate a complicated regimen of self-management into their daily lives (e.g., taking medication, diet, exercise). Diabetes self-management (DSM) is the cornerstone for controlling diabetes and preventing diabetic complications. The purpose of this study was to test a model describing the effects of individual and environmental factors on DSM in a sample of patients with diabetes in Beijing, China. Survey data were gathered from a convenience sample of 201 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes during outpatient visits. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Model fit indices indicated a good fit to the data. In the final model, belief in treatment effectiveness and diabetes self-efficacy were proximate factors affecting DSM. Knowledge, social support, and provider-patient communication affected self-management indirectly via beliefs and self-efficacy. The findings provide a theoretical basis to direct the development of interventions for improving DSM in Chinese individuals with diabetes.     

Intensification of insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An algorithm for basal-bolus therapy

Abstract

The incidence of diabetes mellitus is projected to continue to increase worldwide over the next 20 years leading to increased costs in the management of the disease and its associated co-morbidities. Insulin replacement is one of many treatment options that can help to bring about near normoglycemia in the patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Glycemic control as close to normoglycemia as possible can help to reduce the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications, yet less than one-half of patients with T2DM achieve glycemic targets as recommended by practice guidelines. The purpose of this review is to provide guidance to primary care physicians for the initiation and intensification of basal-bolus insulin therapy in patients with T2DM. Two treatment algorithms that can be both patient- and physician-driven are proposed: a stepwise approach and a multiple daily injections approach. Evidence shaping the two approaches will be discussed alongside management issues that surround the patient treated with insulin: hypoglycemia, weight gain, patient education, and quality of life.     

胰岛素强化治疗对2型糖尿病患者血浆 GPC-4水平的影响

目的：探讨胰岛素强化治疗对初诊2型糖尿病（T2DM ）患者血浆磷脂酰基醇蛋白聚糖-4（GPC-4）水平的影响及其与胰岛素敏感性的关系。方法随机选择38例初诊 T2DM 患者（T2DM 组）,于胰岛素强化治疗前及治疗4周后进行血浆G PC-4水平及其他指标检测,采用高胰岛素-正葡萄糖钳夹术评价患者胰岛素敏感性的变化。以糖耐量正常的体检健康者40例（NGT组）作为对照。结果 T2DM组空腹血浆GPC-4水平为（5．27±1．97）μg/L ,低于NGT 组[（7．33±2．36）μg/L ,P＜0．05）]。胰岛素强化治疗后,T2DM 组空腹血浆 GPC-4水平为（6．42±2．21）μg/L ,较治疗前明显升高（P＜0．05）。治疗后,T2DM 组葡萄糖代谢率明显升高,胰岛素抵抗指数明显降低（P＜0．05）,且GPC-4水平升高程度与葡萄糖代谢率升高程度呈正相关。结论胰岛素强化治疗不仅可升高初诊T2DM患者血浆GPC-4水平,而且有助于改善患者的胰岛素敏感性;血浆GPC-4水平可能与患者胰岛素敏感性有关。     

Associations of resistin with inflammation and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective. Resistin has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, inflammation and atherosclerosis but the results of animal and human studies have been at variance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential roles of resistin in patients with type 2 diabetes and to evaluate the correlation between resistin and markers of obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic parameters, diabetes control and complications. Material and methods. Fasting resistin, leptin, insulin, glucose, HbA1c, full lipid profile, C‐reactive protein (CRP) (high sensitivity assay) and complete blood count were determined in 135 patients with type 2 diabetes. Univariate regression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to relate resistin with indices of obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance (homeostasis model, HOMA), insulin sensitivity, diabetic control, coronary heart disease (CHD) and degree of microalbuminuria. Results. Resistin showed significant (p<0.05) correlations with body mass index (BMI) "(Spearman r = 0.67), waist circumference (r = 0.54), fasting insulin (0.51), insulin sensitivity (r = ?0.29), HOMA (r = 0.30), leptin (r = 0.39), CRP (r = 0.29), white cell count (r = 0.25) and lipid parameters but showed no significant correlation with glucose and HbA1c. Partial correlation analysis, with correction for BMI, abolished the correlation of resistin with insulin sensitivity and HOMA but not with the white cell count. When confounding factors were fixed using multiple logistic regression, resistin was not independently associated with CHD (odds ratio = 1.05, p = 0.08) and degree of microalbuminuria (odds ratio = 1.06, p = 0.24). Conclusions. Resistin showed significant BMI‐dependent associations with insulin resistance and factors linked with obesity and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes. Resistin may represent a link between obesity and insulin resistance via pro‐inflammatory pathways.     

A UK wide survey of insulin initiation in children with type 1 diabetes and nurses’ perceptions of associated decision‐making

Aim and objectives. The aim of this study was to examine insulin initiation practice across the UK in relation to children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Objectives of this study were to explore practices surrounding insulin initiation in children and nurses’ perceptions of associated decision‐making. Background. There are comparative studies of insulin treatments and regimens for children but few that describe the insulin initiation process or associated decision‐making. The literature suggests a heavy workload for nurses working in practice and insufficient resources for home initiation of insulin. Design. A survey design. Method. A questionnaire regarding insulin initiation was distributed to 247 diabetes specialist nurses working with children from all four UK countries. Results. One hundred and twelve responses (45%). Only 37 (33%) started clinically well, newly diagnosed children on insulin at home, but most would do so with adequate resources. The most common insulin regimen at diagnosis was twice daily injections, with 86% (n = 96) using re‐usable pens to deliver the insulin. As expected, no one commenced children on pump therapy at diagnosis. Analogue insulin was seen as the drug of choice by over a quarter of the nurses (29%, n = 32). Doctors appeared to be the main decision‐makers, supplemented by other members of the paediatric diabetes multi‐disciplinary team and decision‐making aids. Conclusion. Approaches to treatment at onset of type 1 diabetes in children remain relatively traditional. Nurses expressed a desire to stabilise clinically well children at home but were restricted by lack of resources. Decision‐making in most domains was largely medically dominated. Relevance to clinical practice. The study provides an insight into current insulin initiation practice in childhood diabetes and offers a useful comparator as practices change in the light of advances in treatment (medication and equipment), changes in professional roles (e.g. independent prescribing) and policy shifts (the move away from hospitals and resource constraints).