Illness perception and knowledge with regard to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: a pilot study of emergency department patients and staff.

BACKGROUND

We aimed to explore emergency department (ED) patients', doctors', and nurses' knowledge and illness perception with regard to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to determine whether patients' diabetes risk was associated with illness perception.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of adult ED patients and clinicians was undertaken. Patients and clinicians were administered the 72-item Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised, five researcher-generated questions with regard to the awareness of T2DM, and seven items with regard to the efficacy of lifestyle interventions. Patients were also administered the eight-item Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test.

RESULTS

Of 127 patients and 29 ED clinicians recruited, only 30 (38/127) and 72% (21/29), respectively, reported having heard of prediabetes. Thirty-six percent of patients had an intermediate-high risk of developing T2DM according to the Diabetes Risk Test. The risk of developing T2DM was weakly correlated (r<0.19) with all Illness Perception Questionnaire subscales.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge of prediabetes is poor among ED patients and many are unaware that T2DM may be asymptomatic. Patients and clinicians perceived lifestyle factors to be causative for T2DM, but both perceived patients as having little control over the condition. The capacity of lifestyle modifications to alter the course of T2DM should be emphasized in future education programs.