Using Patient Profiles for Sustained Diabetes Management Among People With Type 2 Diabetes

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to evaluate the association between patient profiles and sustained diabetes management (SDM) among patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We collected HbA(1c) values recorded from 2014 through 2020 for 570 patients in a hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and calculated a standard level based on an HbA(1c) level less than 7.0% to determine SDM. We used patients’ self-reported data on diabetes self-care behaviors to construct profiles. We used 8 survey items to perform a latent profile analysis with 3 groups (poor management, medication adherence, and good management). After adjusting for other determining factors, we used multiple regression analysis to explore the relationship between patient profiles and SDM. RESULTS: The good management group demonstrated better SDM than the poor management group (β = 0.183; P = .003). Using the most recent HbA(1c) value and the 7-year average of HbA(1c) values as the outcome, we found lower HbA(1c) values in the good management group than in the poor management group (β = −0.216 [P = .01] and −0.217 [P = .008], respectively). CONCLUSION: By using patient profiles, we confirmed a positive relationship between optimal patient behavior in self-care management and SDM. Patients with type 2 diabetes exhibited effective self-care management behavior and engaged in more health care activities, which may have led to better SDM. In promoting patient-centered care, using patient profiles and customized health education materials could improve diabetes care.