How we perceive a chronic illness can determine how we manage the condition. Tang and coworkers compared patient-provider differences in diabetes-related perceptions between African-American and White patients and to examine its association with self-care behaviors. One hundred and thirty patient-provider pairs were recruited from the greater Detroit area. Patients and providers completed a survey assessing perceptions about diabetes-related concepts and demographic background. The Diabetes Semantic Differential Scale was used to measure diabetes-related perceptions. Patients also reported the frequency of performing self-care behaviors, including following a healthy eating plan, engaging in physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and taking medication and/or insulin. There were a greater number of patient-provider differences in diabetes-related perceptions for the African-American patients (nine of 18 concepts) compared with the White patients (four of 18 concepts). Data analyzes found patients' semantic differential scores to be significantly associated with five self-care behaviors for African-American patients and two self-care behaviors for White patients. Providers' scores were predictors of self-care behaviors for African-American patients, but not for White patients.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU: The authors suggested that compared with White patients, African-Americans differ in a greater number of diabetes-related perceptions than their providers. Patients' and providers' perceptions of diabetes care had a significant impact on a greater number of self-care behaviors for African-American patients than White patients. These differences should be considered when designing a self-management program for any chronic condition.

TS Tang et al. Patient-provider perceptions of diabetes and its impact on self-management: a comparison of African-American and White patients. Diabetes Medicine, 2008;25:341-348.