Barriers to care in patients with diabetes and poor glycemic control—A cross-sectional survey

AIMS: To determine and quantify the prevalence of patient, provider and system level barriers to achieving diabetes care goals; and to examine whether barriers were different for people with poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 10%; 86 mmol/mol) compared to fair glycemic control (7 to <8%; 53–64 mmol/mol). METHODS: We administered a survey by telephone to community-dwelling patients with diabetes, to examine patient-reported barriers and facilitators to care. We compared responses in individuals with HbA1c ≥ 10% (86 mmol/mol) against those with HbA1c between 7–8% (53–64 mmol/mol). We examined associations between HbA1c group and barriers to care, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and diabetes duration. RESULTS: The survey included 805 people with HbA1c ≥ 10% (86 mmol/mol), and 405 people with HbA1c 7–8% (53–64 mmol/mol). Participants with HbA1c ≥ 10% (86 mmol/mol) reported good access to care, however 20% of participants with HbA1c ≥ 10% (86 mmol/mol) felt that their care was not well-coordinated and 9.6% reported having an unmet health care need. In adjusted analysis, patients with HbA1c ≥10% (86 mmol/mol) were more likely to report lack of confidence and inadequate social support, compared to patients with HbA1c 7–8% (53–64 mmol/mol). They were also significantly more likely not to have drug insurance nor to have received recommended treatments because of cost. CONCLUSIONS: These results reinforce the importance of an individualized, yet multi-faceted approach. Specific attention to financial barriers seems warranted. These findings can inform the development of programs and initiatives to overcome barriers to care, and improve diabetes care and outcomes.