Characteristics of the participants
A total of 300 doctors participated in this study. The median age of the doctors was 35.0 [30.0, 41.0] years. Of the doctors, 180 (60.0%) were male. The median duration of practice as a doctor was 9.0 [5.0, 15.0] years. Of the doctors, 252 (84.0%) were general practitioners, 38 (12.7%) were family medicine specialists, and 10 (3.3%) were of other specialties. More than 90% of the doctors stated that they see more than 10 diabetic patients in their clinics per week for management and treatment of their condition. Of the doctors, 30 (10.0%) reported never having attended a diabetes education workshop after graduation. The detailed practice and demographic variables of the doctors are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Detailed practice and demographic variables of the doctors
Variables
|
Frequency (%)
n = 300
|
Age (years)
< 35
|
139 (46.3)
|
≥ 35
|
161 (53.7)
|
Gender
Male
|
180 (60.0)
|
Female
|
120 (40.0)
|
Duration of practice as a doctor (years)
< 10
|
158 (52.7)
|
≥ 10
|
142 (47.3)
|
Specialty
GP
|
252 (84.0)
|
Family medicine
|
38 (12.7)
|
Other
|
10 (3.3)
|
On average, how many diabetic patients do you see in your clinic each week for management and treatment of their condition?
< 10
|
25 (8.3)
|
11-20
|
91 (30.3)
|
21-30
31-40
|
86 (28.7)
45 (15.0)
|
> 40
|
53 (17.7)
|
When was the last time you attended a diabetes education workshop after graduation?
Never
|
30 (10.0)
|
More than 5 years
|
161 (53.7)
|
In the past 3-4 years
|
73 (24.3)
|
In the past 1-2 years
|
36 (12.0)
|
Sources of information used by the doctor to obtained knowledge about diabetes
Of the doctors, 227 (75.7%) stated that they used sources published by the WHO and 168 (56.0%) stated that they used UpToDate. The sources stated by the doctors are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Sources of information used by the doctor to obtained knowledge about diabetes
#
|
Source
|
Frequency (%)
|
1
|
UpToDate
|
168 (56.0)
|
2
|
American Diabetes Association
|
118 (39.3)
|
3
|
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
|
68 (22.7)
|
4
|
American College of Endocrinology
|
54 (18.0)
|
5
|
Live Continuing Medical Education
|
15 (5.0)
|
6
|
Pharmaceutical industry representatives
|
34 (11.3)
|
7
|
The World health Organization (WHO)
|
227 (75.7)
|
8
|
Journal articles/reviews
|
39 (13.0)
|
9
|
DynaMed
|
13 (4.3)
|
10
|
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)
|
11 (3.7)
|
11
|
American Association of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
|
19 (6.3)
|
12
|
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
|
7 (2.3)
|
All doctors listed 3 signs of hyperglycemia. Of the doctors, 186 (62.0%), 65 (21.7%), and 49 (16.3%) thought that false-positive hyperglycemia was caused by contaminated gluco-check slides, patient malpractices, and post prandial rise in blood glucose, respectively.
The doctors answered a knowledge test about the fasting blood glucose, random blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin HbA1c, and self-glucose monitoring. The answers of the doctors are shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Answers of the knowledge test
#
|
Source
|
Frequency (%)
|
1
|
What is the cut-off value for diabetes in "Fasting blood glucose" test (mg/dl)?
95
100
125
126
140
146
200
|
3 (1.0)
14 (4.7)
1 (0.3)
266 (88.7)
12 (4.0)
1 (0.3)
3 (1.0)
|
2
|
What is the cut-off value for pre-diabetes in "Fasting blood glucose" test (mg/dl)?
95
100
125
126
140
146
200
|
19 (6.3)
232 (77.3)
4 (1.3)
25 (8.3)
10 (3.3)
3 (1.0)
7 (2.3)
|
3
|
What is the cut-off value for diabetes in "Random blood glucose" test (mg/dl)?
95
100
126
140
146
180
200
|
3 (1.0)
3 (1.0)
7 (2.3)
30 (10.0)
4 (1.3)
2 (0.7)
251 (83.7)
|
4
|
What is the cut-off value for pre-diabetes in "Random blood glucose" test (mg/dl)?
95
100
126
140
146
110
199
200
|
2 (0.7)
13 (4.3)
32 (10.7)
113 (37.7)
122 (40.7)
1 90.3)
5 (1.7)
12 (4.0)
|
5
|
What is the cut-off value for diabetes in "Glycated Hemoglobin HbA1c" test (%)?
5.5
5.6
5.7
6.4
6.5
7.0
7.5
|
7 (2.3)
1 (0.3)
24 (8.0)
1 (0.3)
255 (85.0)
10 (3.3)
2 (0.7)
|
6
|
What is the cut-off value for pre- diabetes in "Glycated Hemoglobin HbA1c" test (%)?
5.0
5.5
5.7
6.4
6.5
7.0
|
3 (1.0)
21 (7.0)
238 (79.3)
5 (1.7)
31 (10.3)
2 (0.7)
|
7
|
Which of the following glucose monitor values is considered an emergency and necessitates immediate medical attention?
130
200
350
500
|
2 (0.7)
25 (8.3)
63 (21.0)
210 (70.0)
|
8
|
What is the definition of self-glucose monitoring?
A technique for patients to monitor their own blood glucose levels at
Home
A method of measuring blood glucose levels with a continuous monitoring device
A laboratory test used to determine the body's insulin levels
|
232 (77.3)
59 (19.7)
9 (3 .0)
|
9
|
What is the difference between self-glucose monitoring and laboratory-based glucose testing?
Self-glucose monitoring provides immediate results, whereas laboratory testing takes longer
There is no distinction between self-glucose monitoring and laboratory-based testing
Self-glucose monitoring is more precise than laboratory testing and it is not commonly used in clinical practice
|
253 (84.3)
13 (4.3)
34 (11.3)
|
10
|
Which of the following is NOT a commonly used technique for self-glucose monitoring by type 2 diabetes patients?
Urine glucose testing
Flash Glucose Monitoring (FGM)
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
Fingerstick blood glucose testing
|
196 (65.3)
20 (6.7)
39 (13.0)
45 (15.0)
|
11
|
According to your knowledge, self-glucose monitoring helps in reducing the chance of which of the following complications?
Incomplete answer
Cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, blindness
|
128 (42.7)
172 (57.1)
|
Association between the doctors’ variables and knowledge
There were significant differences in the knowledge scores of the doctors in relation to gender, the average number of diabetic patients seen per week, and attending an education workshop after graduation. Female doctors and those see more patients demonstrated higher knowledge. The associations are shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Association between the variables of the doctors and knowledge
Variables
|
Knowledge score
|
Median [Q1-Q3]
|
p-value a
|
Age (years)
< 35
|
70 [50-80]
|
0.146 b
|
≥ 35
|
80 [60-80]
|
Gender
Male
|
70 [50-80]
|
<0.001 b
|
Female
|
80 [60-80]
|
Duration of practice as a doctor (years)
< 10
|
70 [50-80]
|
0.973 b
|
≥ 10
|
70 [60-80]
|
Specialty
GP
|
80 [60-80]
|
0.374 c
|
Family medicine
|
70 [60-80]
|
Other
|
70 [50-80]
|
On average, how many diabetic patients do you see in your clinic each week for management and treatment of their condition?
< 10
|
80 [60-80]
|
0.018 c
|
11-20
|
70 [50-80]
|
21-30
|
80 [60-80]
|
31-40
|
80 [50-80]
|
> 40
|
70 [60-80]
|
When was the last time you attended a diabetes education workshop after graduation?
Never
|
80 [80-80]
|
0.001 c
|
More than 5 years
|
80 [80-80]
|
In the past 3-4 years
|
80 [80-80]
|
In the past 1-2 years
|
80 [70-80]
|
a The bold values indicate p <0.05
b Statistically significant values were calculated using the Mann–Whitney U test
b Statistically significant values were calculated using the Kruskal–Wallis test
Attitudes of the doctors towards self-glucose monitoring
The doctors regarded self-glucose monitoring as beneficial to the quality of life of the patient. Only 8.0% of the doctors stated that they would not routinely recommend self-glucose monitoring to their patients. Similarly, the majority believed that self-glucose monitoring improveed patient outcomes, believed that the values of self-glucose monitoring correspond to HbA1c control and microvascular consequences of diabetes. The majority were confident in their ability to educate the patients about the use of self-glucose monitoring devices. See Table 5.
Table 5. Doctors’ attitude about self-glucose monitoring
#
|
Item
|
Frequency (%)
|
1
|
How beneficial do you think self-glucose monitoring is for increasing patients' quality of life?
Somewhat beneficial
Beneficial
Extremely beneficial
|
28 (9.3)
201 (67.0)
71 (23.7)
|
2
|
Would you recommend self-glucose monitoring to all of your T2DM patients on a regular basis?
No
Yes, but only for certain cases
Yes, for all
|
24 (8.0)
143 (47.7)
133 (44.3)
|
3
|
I strongly believe that self-glucose monitoring improves patient outcomes in type 2 diabetes therapy by allowing for improved glycemic control and lowering the risk of complications.
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
|
7 (2.3)
35 (11.7)
174 (58.0)
84 (28.0)
|
4
|
Rate your belief that your patients' self-glucose monitoring values correspond to their HbA1c control and microvascular consequences of diabetes
Not sure
Poor
Good
Strong
|
10 (3.3)
18 (6.0)
174 (58.0)
98 (32.7)
|
5
|
I am confident in my abilities to educate patients on the use of self-glucose monitoring devices.
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
|
9 (3.0)
63 (21.0)
144 (48.0)
84 (28.0)
|
6
|
I realize the importance of self-glucose monitoring not only as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, but also as an important component of patient education, assisting patients in understanding the impact of lifestyle choices on diabetes care.
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
|
11 (3.7)
41 (13.7)
181 (60.3)
67 (22.3)
|
7
|
I recognize the importance of self-glucose monitoring in improving patient compliance and medication adherence, and I am committed to resolving any impediments or challenges that my patients may have in efficiently using these monitoring methods.
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
|
13 (4.3)
43 (14.3)
194 (64.7)
50 (16.7)
|
Doctors’ self-glucose monitoring practices
Regarding the doctors’ practices, 39.3% stated that they would recommend self-glucose monitoring to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients more than one time a day. More than half (54.0%) of the doctors stated that they would educate and coach patients on proper self-glucose monitoring techniques during follow-up visits. More than a third, 40.0% stated that they always give their patients glucose level goals for self-monitoring, and 25.3% stated that they always reviewed the self-glucose monitoring data during consultations. When asked about their confidence in their ability to interpret self-glucose monitoring data and modify treatment plans accordingly, 12.3% of the doctors stated that they were very confident. More than half (58.0%) offered training or instructional courses to their patients about self-glucose monitoring. More than half stated that 25% of their patients returned to clinics with diabetes-related complications. Less than half reported that their patients highly or very highly adhered to the prescribed treatment plan. See Table 6.
Table 6. Doctors’ answers on the practice items
#
|
Item
|
Frequency (%)
|
1
|
How often do you recommend self-glucose monitoring to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients?
Never
Only during specific circumstances (e.g., illness, medication changes)
At every visit
Several times a week
Once a day
More than one time a day
|
4 (1.3)
40 (13.3)
27 (9.0)
36 (12.0)
75 (25.0)
118 (39.3)
|
2
|
How frequently do you educate and coach your patients on proper self-glucose monitoring techniques?
Never
At the time of diagnosis only
During follow-up visits as needed
Regularly during scheduled diabetes education sessions
I refer patients to diabetes educators for this purpose
|
17 (5.7)
41 (13.7)
162 (54.0)
41 (13.7)
39 (13.0)
|
3
|
Do you give your patients particular goal glucose levels for self-monitoring (e.g., fasting, pre-meal, post-meal) to help their monitoring effort?
No, never
No, not usually
Yes, in specific cases
Yes, always
|
7 (2.3)
44 (14.7)
129 (43.0)
120 (40.0)
|
4
|
During consultations, how frequently do you review your patients' self-glucose monitoring data?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
|
4 (1.3)
26 (8.7)
64 (21.3)
130 (43.3)
76 (25.3)
|
5
|
How confident are you in interpreting self-glucose monitoring data and modifying treatment plans accordingly?
Not confident
Somewhat confident
Confident
Very confident
|
30 (10.0)
88 (29.3)
145 (48.3)
37 (12.3)
|
6
|
Do you offer self-glucose monitoring training or instructional courses to your T2DM patients?
No
Yes
|
126 (42.0)
174 (58.0)
|
7
|
How many of the patients diagnosed with diabetes at your facility have returned with diabetes-related complications?
I'm not sure/not appropriate
No diabetic patients have returned with complications
Less than 25% of diabetic individuals have returned with difficulties.
Between 25% and 50% of diabetic patients have returned with problems
More than half of the diabetic individuals returned with difficulties
|
36 (12.0)
9 (3.0)
98 (32.7)
129 (43.0)
28 (9.3)
|
8
|
How would you assess the adherence of your diabetic patients to their prescribed treatment plans on average?
None of the patients adhere
Low: Only a few patients continuously adhere to their treatment plans
Moderate: Approximately half of the patients stick to their treatment plans
High: The vast majority of patients follow their treatment plans
Very high: Most patients adhere to their treatment plans religiously
|
7 (2.3)
43 (14.3)
131 (43.7)
105 (35.0)
14 (4.7)
|
Correlation between the doctors’ knowledge and practice
There was a statistically significant correlation between knowledge and practice scores (r =0.172) (p < 0.003).