Issue 162 Item 10 A1c Results Directly Related to Education

New study results show a direct relationship between the diabetes knowledge of the patient and their A1c results.

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. Most of the morbidity, mortality, and cost of type 2 diabetes is related to cardiovascular complications. These complications can be decreased by improving glycemic control. However, one problem in diabetes care is the poor translation of knowledge derived from research to clinical practice. A lack of patients understanding the long-term ramifications of poor glycemic control may play a role in this. To further test this hypothesis, we performed the following study to determine whether patient diabetes knowledge was related to glycemic control.

Diabetes knowledge was measured using the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test (J.T. Fitzgerald, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI). Only questions pertaining to type 2 diabetes were used. HbA1c values were determined. Data were analyzed using SAS software version 6.1 (SAS, Cary, NC). Logistic regression analysis was done using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Seventy-seven subjects completed the study. The average number of questions answered correctly was 8.5 ± 2.3. The mean HbA1c value was 8.05 ± 1.6%. Regression analysis demonstrated an inverse correlation between the number of correct responses and HbA1c values. For each increase in the number of questions answered correctly, HbA1c decreased by 0.239 (r = -0.337, P < 0.003). These results suggest that improved diabetes knowledge improves glycemic control. Other studies have shown that patient educational interventions lower HbA1c values. Patient education should be part of the diabetes treatment plan as this provides another modality for reaching glycemic targets. Patient empowerment is a strong tool that can be attained through knowledge of disease processes. In conclusion, we have shown that improved diabetes knowledge is associated with better glycemic control. Empowering diabetic patients with knowledge of their disease may help combat this financially draining epidemic. Diabetes Care 26:2220-2221, 2003

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