Journal article

The emotional context of self-management in chronic illness: A qualitative study of the role of health professional support in the self-management of type 2 diabetes

J Furler, C Walker, I Blackberry, T Dunning, N Sulaiman, J Dunbar, J Best, D Young

BMC Health Services Research | Published : 2008

Abstract

Background. Support for patient self-management is an accepted role for health professionals. Little evidence exists on the appropriate basis for the role of health professionals in achieving optimum self-management outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of people with type 2 diabetes about their self-management strategies and how relationships with health professionals may support this. Methods. Four focus groups were conducted with people with type 2 diabetes: two with English-speaking and one each with Turkish and Arabic-speaking. Transcripts from the groups were analysed drawing on grounded hermeneutics and interpretive description. Results. We describe three conceptually linked c..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thanks Elaine Hadj for help in arranging the focus groups and the participants who took part and gave so freely of their time and views. This study was part of a larger study funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Project Grant. We thank the three reviewers of an earlier version of this paper for their valuable input.