Share this Article
Tan G, De Roza J, Chen YT, How CH
Correspondence: Dr Tan Choon Seng Gilbert, gilbert.tan.c.s@singhealth.com.sg
ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is an ‘insulin problem’ as the maintenance of normoglycaemia is affected by either reduced pancreatic insulin production or cellular insulin resistance. During a patient’s first visit for type 2 diabetes mellitus, there are several consultation tasks that the doctor should consider. First, the doctor has to disclose the diagnosis. Second, there is a need to correct any myths and misconceptions that the patient may have on the disease. Next, to allow the doctor to provide patient-specific disease education and advice on lifestyle modifications and goal setting, the biopsychosocial impact of the disease on the patient should be assessed, and relevant lifestyle information gathered. Lastly, screening for the complications of diabetes mellitus and its associated medical conditions should be planned.
Keywords: biopsychosocial, consultation tasks, diabetes, goal setting, lifestyle modifications
Singapore Med J 2013; 54(7): 377-381; http://dx.doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2013137
REFERENCES
| 1. American Diabetes Association. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 2010; 33 suppl 1:S62-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc10-S062 | ||||
| 2. Ministry of Health. Singapore Health Facts 2010. Singapore: Ministry of Health, 2010. | ||||
| 3. Buckman R. Breaking Bad News: A Six-Step Protocol. In: How to Break Bad News: A guide for Health Care Professionals. Maryland, United States: The John Hopkins University Press, 1992: 65-97. | ||||
| 4. Rehman A, Mirza U, Jehan M, Pasha SA. Myths and misconceptions regarding Diabetes Mellitus among diabetic and non-diabetic Indian population. Int J Curr Res Rev 2013; 5:26-30. | ||||
| 5. Patil R, Nasrin AN, Datta SS, Boratne AV, Lokeshmaran. Popular misconceptions regarding the diabetes management: where should we focus our attention? J Clin Diagn Res 2013; 7:287-91. | ||||
| 6. American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Basics: Diabetes Myths. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/. Accessed June 25, 2013. | ||||
| 7. Bodenheimer T, Handley MA. Goal-setting for behaviour change in primary care: an exploration and status report. Patient Educ Couns 2009; 76:176-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2009.06.001 | ||||
| 8. Health Canada. Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit. Setting SMART Goals (2011). Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/foodguide-aliment/educ-comm/toolkit-trousse.... Accessed June 24, 2013. | ||||
| 9. DeWalt DA, Davis TC, Wallace AS, et al. Goal setting in diabetes selfmanagement: taking the baby steps to success. Patient Educ Couns 2009; 77:218-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2009.03.012 | ||||
| 10. Chia DS, Yap EY. Comparison of the effectiveness of detecting diabetic eye disease: diabetic retinal photography versus ophthalmic consultation. Singapore Med J 2004; 45:276-9. | ||||
| 11. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes – 2013. Diabetes Care 2013; 36 suppl 1:S11-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc13-S011 | ||||
| 12. Chang CN, How CH, Tavintharan S. Beyond low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: why, who and when. Singapore Med J 2012; 53:566-8. | ||||