Yes, travesty. It’s a dramatic word, but to me, this statistic is dramatic and not in a good way. This article reports that only 29% of people surveyed responded that they were asked for input in their diabetes management plan(s).
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of someone with a chronic disease – requiring daily management – being in charge of their care. The person with diabetes is at the helm, in the driver’s seat, in charge. They absolutely have to give their input. Health care providers cannot even attempt to help in any way – by providing information or guidance/suggestions/recommendations – if the person with diabetes does not give input. It just doesn’t make sense.
We use all sorts of vehicle-related analogies when teaching about diabetes, yet we are driving blindly if we are telling people what to do and not asking what they know, how they understand things, what’s going on in the big picture for them, and what their questions/concerns are. With that input it becomes not just telling people what to do, but working with people to achieve healthy outcomes.
The American Diabetes Association, for at least the second year in a row, is emphasizing individualized care in their standards for medical care of people with diabetes. But how are health care providers defining individualized care? If it doesn’t include patients’ input, then I’m not so sure it’s individualized. We need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk, people.
Health care professionals, please, please, ask patients for their input. It’s critical for best outcomes for people with diabetes, and isn’t that why we are in this business, after all?