Do diabetics remember all they have been taught? A survey of knowledge of insulin-dependent diabetics.

A questionnaire survey of 182 insulin-dependent diabetics aged 12-73 years attending a District General Hospital outpatient clinic revealed limitations in the understanding of their disease, with gaps in their knowledge on most aspects of diabetic management, including simple metabolic details, use of insulin, hypoglycaemic reactions, effects of exercise and illness, urine testing, and diet. Only 4 patients (2%) answered all 34 questions correctly and only 27 (15%) answered 11 key questions accurately. The total number of 'knowledgeable' patients who achieved a score of at least 28 in all, including 9 or more key questions correct, was 96 (53%). The degree of knowledge of our patients was unrelated to age, duration of diabetes, place of original diabetic education or degree of diabetic control as measured by blood glucose or HbA1 levels.