Patient reports of diabetes compliance: a meta-ethnography

Abstract

Background: Qualitative methodologies are widely used to understand and explore factors related to diabetes compliance (i.e., adherence to diet, exercise, self – monitoring and medical regimen). The present study aims to synthesize these findings to consolidate and better understand psychosocial factors associated with adherence. Method: Meta-ethnography, a method of qualitative data synthesis, was used and 24 studies were included for analyses. Analyses included the following seven steps (Noblit & Hare, 1988): (1) getting started, (2) determining what is relevant to initial interest, (3) reading the studies, (4) evaluating how the studies are related, (5) translating studies into one another, (6) synthesizing the translation, and (7) expressing the synthesis. Findings: Five key themes emerged as the main factors associated with compliance: (i) illness and treatment awareness/knowledge, (ii) attitudes towards illness and physician, (iii) illness beliefs, (iv) motivation: psychological, socio-cultural, structural factors, (v) physician-patient relationship Discussion: The meta-ethnography revealed that there were multiple psychosocial factors that influenced patients’ compliance to their diabetes regimen. Future research must take into consideration these factors when developing interventions to improve adherence.