Health condition of type 2 diabetic patients and their satisfaction regarding disease treatment

Diabetes Mellitus is increasing in our country, with a high prevalence of complications mainly because of poor metabolic control. Objectives: to evaluate association of health condition, demographic variables, and years since diagnosis with patient satisfaction regarding disease treatment. Methodology: prevalence study, 340 patient taken out of a population of 1.100 patients attended in the Cardiovascular Program of an outpatient clinic in Macul district. Informed consent was requested. Simple randomized sample (CI 95%, loss 10%). Data collected in the outpatient clinic or through home visits done by researchers or trained senior nursing students. Patient satisfaction was measured by the satisfaction subscale of the Diabetes Quality of Life Questionnaire (EsDQOL). Analysis: descriptive statistics, Chi2, Odds Ratios, CI (95%). Results: Population of mainly older adults, female, average years of school attendance 8.7. 42.6% has been diagnosed since more than 10 years. They refer greater satisfaction with: pharmacologic treatment, care received in outpatient visits, life in general. There exists more dissatisfaction with: time spent in exercise, sleep, sexual life. Satisfaction with pharmacologic treatment has association with diabetes compensation (p= 0.026). Patients dissatisfied with treatment have 2 times more risk of poor metabolic control than satisfied patients, IC[1.08-3.7]. Dissatisfaction with time spent in the disease, outpatient visits, and time spent in exercises, are associated with complications (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Dissatisfaction is more associated to complications than to poor metabolic control. Patient dissatisfied have more risk of complications than those satisfied.