[The effect of patient education on glycemic status and self-monitoring activity in type 2 diabetic patients recently switched to basal insulin analogue treatment].

INTRODUCTION

In addition to medications, patient education is thought to have important beneficial effects in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM

The aim of the authors was to evaluate the additional effect of patient education on glycemic control and some aspects of lifestyle in a non-interventional study.

METHOD

Patients between the ages of 18 and 75 were involved. Study sites which provided standardized education program recruited educated patients, while sites which provided diabetes counseling recruited control patients.

RESULTS

Patients included in the educated group were younger, had an earlier detection of diabetes, and had better baseline glycemic control. Changes of HbA1c levels in the control and educated group arms were -1.41% and -1.23%, (p = 0.277) and the changes of fasting blood glucose levels were -1.89 mmol/L and -1.88 mmol/L (p = 0.854) in the control and educated groups, respectively. The changes in postprandial glucose levels were significantly greater in the control group (-2.88 mmol/L vs. -2.26 mmol/L in the educated group, p = 0.010). Body mass index in the control group did not actually change between baseline and end of study, but it decreased significantly in the educated group. In the educated group the number of self-monitoring days and the patients' physical activity increased between education sessions 1 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

The possible reason for baseline differences between the two groups was that younger and more motivated patients with better glycemic control tended to join the education program. Education was associated with beneficial body mass changes but not with improvement in glycemic status. Improved self-monitoring and physical activity can be documented in the group of educated patients.