OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the experiences of participants in a community pharmacist-delivered diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program. Specifically, we explored (1) self-efficacy and barriers to implementing self-care behaviors and (2) the participants' perception of the impact that caregiver participation in DSMES classes has on achievement of 6-month personal health goals. METHODS: Ten semistructured interviews were conducted in person or by telephone with participants who completed DSMES between July 2014 and December 2017. The Health Belief Model of health behaviors was used to frame the interview tool with questions exploring the concepts of perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by a medical transcription service for analysis in qualitative data software. Coding was completed after data collection. RESULTS: Meal planning and movement were the most commonly identified barriers to implementation of self-care behaviors, and the emotional aspect of diabetes emerged as a challenge of self-efficacy for most participants. Negative effects of a caregiver's participation were not reported. The most common goals chosen by participants included reaching target hemoglobin A1c and losing 5%-10% of body weight. All participants reported positive progress toward or success of at least some of their goals, and most attributed that to healthier eating and increasing exercise. All participants believed that caregiver participation in the education program had a positive impact on their ability to implement behavior changes. Participants identified having caregiver support to implement changes in eating habits and meal planning was the most important of all self-care behaviors. CONCLUSION: Participants concluded having a caregiver attend DSMES with them had a positive impact on their ability to succeed with implementation of self-care behaviors. These findings support the incorporation of caregivers into the DSMES model.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the experiences of participants in a community pharmacist-delivered diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program. Specifically, we explored (1) self-efficacy and barriers to implementing self-care behaviors and (2) the participants' perception of the impact that caregiver participation in DSMES classes has on achievement of 6-month personal health goals. METHODS: Ten semistructured interviews were conducted in person or by telephone with participants who completed DSMES between July 2014 and December 2017. The Health Belief Model of health behaviors was used to frame the interview tool with questions exploring the concepts of perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by a medical transcription service for analysis in qualitative data software. Coding was completed after data collection. RESULTS: Meal planning and movement were the most commonly identified barriers to implementation of self-care behaviors, and the emotional aspect of diabetes emerged as a challenge of self-efficacy for most participants. Negative effects of a caregiver's participation were not reported. The most common goals chosen by participants included reaching target hemoglobin A1c and losing 5%-10% of body weight. All participants reported positive progress toward or success of at least some of their goals, and most attributed that to healthier eating and increasing exercise. All participants believed that caregiver participation in the education program had a positive impact on their ability to implement behavior changes. Participants identified having caregiver support to implement changes in eating habits and meal planning was the most important of all self-care behaviors. CONCLUSION:Participants concluded having a caregiver attend DSMES with them had a positive impact on their ability to succeed with implementation of self-care behaviors. These findings support the incorporation of caregivers into the DSMES model.