Effects of Telephone-Based Brief Motivational Interviewing on Self-Management, Medication Adherence, and Glycemic Control in Patients with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Rural Community in Thailand.

INTRODUCTION

Owing to the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the high proportion of patients with uncontrolled T2DM, effective interventions for disease management are needed.

OBJECTIVE

The study aim was to test the effects of brief motivational interviewing (MI) on patients' self-management, medication adherence, and glycemic control.

METHODS

A single-group repeated measures trial was used to examine the effects of usual care only and usual care plus telephone-based brief MI. Participants were 29 patients with uncontrolled T2DM recruited from a rural primary care setting in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. Participants received usual care during the first 4 weeks, followed by usual care plus brief MI during weeks 4-8. Outcomes of self-management, medication adherence, fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way repeated measures analysis of variance, and Friedman test.

RESULTS

Significant changes in self-management ( < 0.001), medication adherence ( < 0.001), and FBS ( < 0.05) were observed over the 8-week study. In multiple comparisons, self-management was the only parameter significantly different across baseline, 4, and 8 weeks ( <0.05, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively); medication adherence was significantly different between 4 and 8 weeks ( < 0.05), and between baseline and 8 weeks ( < 0.001); and FBS was significantly different between 4 and 8 weeks ( < 0.05). HbA1c declined over the 8-week study, but not significantly.

CONCLUSION

An intervention combining telephone-based brief MI with usual care significantly increased self-management, medication adherence, and glycemic control (ie, FBS) after 4 weeks, whereas usual care only significantly increased self-management. Phone-based brief MI may be an effective way for healthcare providers to remotely enhance patients' self-management and glycemic control, thus reducing barriers related to time and geographic location.