Development of a health dialogue model for patients with diabetes: A complex intervention in a low-/ middle-income country (LMIC)

6^th World Nursing and Healthcare Conference

August 15-17, 2016 London, UK

Marianne Reid

School of Nursing, University of the Free State, South Africa

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Diabetes is a key non-communicable disease accounting for too many deaths in South Africa (SA). Rising rates of chronic diseases have been addressed in developed countries within a participatory paradigm such as health dialogue interventions, but not in SA. This research was aimed at developing a health dialogue model for adults diagnosed with type-2 diabetes attending public health services within one province in SA. The complex intervention (CI) development phase comprised various projects: A concept analysis of health dialogue; a systematic review of communication strategies used for effective health dialogue in LMICs; knowledge, attitude and practice survey of patients diagnosed with diabetes, and health-care workers caring for these patients; and a perceptions survey of diabetes-related health communication strategies. This phase culminated in a multi-professional research-expert team synthesizing findings from these projects to design the health dialogue model. This health dialogue model will be piloted in the feasibility phase of the CI aimed at raising community awareness of type-2 diabetes, corroborating self-management, and creating a training platform for identified health-care workers caring for patients diagnosed with diabetes. Health dialogue between these health-care workers and patients will take place in health-care centres and accessible community facilities. Awareness will be raised through drama, songs or poetry. Self-management will be corroborated during individual and group activities, and training will occur during workshops. These interventions will be presented monthly over a six-month period. Having determined the feasibility of this model it may prove applicable to patients suffering of other chronic diseases living in similar environments.

Biography :

Dr. Marianne Reid completed a PhD in nursing at the University of the Free State (UFS) School of Nursing. She is the Lead Researcher of the newly established Health Communication niche area within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS. She serves on various research boards. Her passion and striving are to develop and enhance inter-professional health communication research.

Email: reidm@ufs.ac.za