Diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND): Process modelling of pilot study

<p><b>Objective:</b> To determine the effects of a structured education program on illness beliefs, quality of life and physical activity in people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Individuals attending a diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) program in 12 Primary Care Trusts completed questionnaire booklets assessing illness beliefs and quality of life at baseline and 3-month follow-up, metabolic control being assessed through assay of HbA1c.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Two hundred and thirty-six individuals attended the structured self-management education sessions, with 97% and 64% completing baseline and 3-month follow-up questionnaires. At 3 months, individuals were more likely to: understand their diabetes; agree it is a chronic illness; agree it is a serious condition, and that they can affect its course. Individuals achieving a greater reduction in HbA1c over the first 3 months were more likely to agree they could control their diabetes at 3 months (<i>r</i> = 0.24; <i>p</i> = 0.05), and less likely to agree that diabetes would have a major impact on their day to day life (<i>r</i> = 0.35;<i> </i>p = 0.006).</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> Pilot data indicate the DESMOND program for individuals newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes changes key illness beliefs and that these changes predict quality of life and metabolic control at 3-month follow-up. Practice implications: Newly diagnosed individuals are open to attending self-management programs and, if the program is theoretically driven, can successfully engage with the true, serious nature of diabetes.</p>