WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Health Alert: Diabetes study

Health Alert: Diabetes study

(National) September 14, 2006 - Diabetes is a chronic, but manageable disease. Yet too many diabetics don't take the steps they need to feel good. Now doctors are looking at one approach to making healthy changes that stick.

84-year-old Rose Becker has had diabetes for 20-years. She tries to keep her blood sugar under control, but admits it takes work.

"You have to keep active, for one thing, I think the more active you are, your diabetes count stays down. And you have to watch your diet very carefully, and take your medication."

Trouble is, less than five percent of people with diabetes do what the doctor tells them.

Dr. Robert Gabbay says, "People don't listen, you know, because it, it doesn't agree with where, where they're coming from. And, and we've got to meet, we've got to meet people where they're coming from, otherwise it's not going to work."

Rose recently took part in a pilot program at Hershey Medical Center called the Dynamic Study. She met regularly one-on-one with a specially trained nurse to talk about her challenges in living with diabetes.

Nurse Kendra Gallagher says, "We as nurses in this study get to spend an hour. So we really get up close and personal, can really find out what barriers they have to adhering to the plan."

The nurses use a technique that's been successful in addiction counseling called motivational interviewing.

Gallagher says, "We ask the patient what's important to them instead of telling them what they need to do. We try to get them to come to their own conclusions about change."

Rose says her nurse was easy to talk to and helped her see how to make healthy changes, "and that's up to you then, if, if you do it, you know. It's your problem if you don't do it."

Dr. Gabbay says, "The whole thing here is that they have the answers. We don't have the answers. They know what works in their life."

Researchers hope the "dynamic" way will make a difference.

This fall, the study will expand to a second hospital with a special emphasis on reaching the Hispanic community, because diabetes affects Hispanics more severely than other groups.

Posted 1:46pm by Bryce Mursch