Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Can J Diabetes. 2020 Oct;44(7):657-662. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2020.03.011. Epub 2020 Apr 9.
Hypoglycemia is a common adverse event for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this article, we explore the specific roles that individuals assume to prevent or treat hypoglycemia.
A descriptive qualitative study from the UnderstandINg the impact of HYPOglycemia on Diabetes Management Study (InHypo-DM) research program. A purposive sample of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were recruited for semistructured interviews. There were 16 participants (women and men), who were, on average, 53 years old. Average time since diagnosis was 15 (type 1) and 21 (type 2) years; all patients had at least 1 hypoglycemic event in the past year. Individual and team analysis of interviews were conducted to identify overarching themes.
Participants articulated 4 roles in preventing or treating hypoglycemia. The first role was being a manager by assuming ownership and accountability for their own glycemic control. The second role, being a technician, used both subjective and objective information and employed specific strategies to respond to hypoglycemic events. The third role, educator, extended beyond self-management to increase others' awareness of hypoglycemia. The fourth role, advocate, involved championing one's own needs during a hypoglycemic event. These 4 roles were, in turn, influenced by the contexts of work, social settings, exercise and travel.
These findings demonstrate that strategies that individuals use to avoid or reduce the severity of a hypoglycemic event extend beyond merely making impromptu decisions during events. Instead, these 4 roles of manager, technician, educator and advocate, embedded in specific contexts, enhanced their mastery in managing hypoglycemia in daily life.
低血糖是 1 型和 2 型糖尿病患者的常见不良事件。在本文中，我们探讨了个人在预防或治疗低血糖方面所扮演的特定角色。
这是一项来自 UnderstandINg the impact of HYPOglycemia on Diabetes Management Study (InHypo-DM) 研究计划的描述性定性研究。通过有目的的抽样，招募了 16 名 1 型和 2 型糖尿病患者进行半结构化访谈。参与者平均年龄为 53 岁，平均诊断时间分别为 15 年（1 型）和 21 年（2 型）；所有患者在过去一年中均至少发生过 1 次低血糖事件。对访谈进行个体和团队分析，以确定总体主题。
参与者在预防或治疗低血糖方面表达了 4 种角色。第一种角色是管理者，通过对自己的血糖控制承担所有权和责任。第二种角色是技术员，他们使用主观和客观信息，并采取具体策略来应对低血糖事件。第三种角色是教育者，不仅延伸到自我管理，还提高了他人对低血糖的认识。第四种角色是倡导者，在低血糖事件中倡导自己的需求。这 4 种角色反过来又受到工作、社交环境、锻炼和旅行等背景的影响。
这些发现表明，个人用来避免或减轻低血糖事件严重程度的策略不仅仅是在事件发生时即兴做出决定。相反，管理者、技术员、教育者和倡导者这 4 种角色，嵌入在特定的情境中，增强了他们在日常生活中管理低血糖的能力。
