TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the barriers and enablers of diabetes care in a remote Australian context
T2 - A qualitative study
AU - Bourke, Siobhan
AU - Munira, Syarifah Liza
AU - Parkinson, Anne
AU - Lancsar, Emily
AU - Desborough, Jane
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Bourke et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Objective This qualitative study explored the current barriers and enablers of diabetes care in the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT). Methods A constructivist grounded theory approach that incorporated semi-structured telephone interviews was employed. Initial analysis of the interview transcripts used a line-by-line approach, to identify recurring themes, connections, and patterns, before they were re-labelled and categorised. This was followed by axial coding, categorisation refinement, and mapping of diabetes triggers in the IOT. Participants and setting The IOT, consisting of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, are some of the most remote areas in Australia. When compared with mainland Australia, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the IOT is disproportionately higher. There were no known cases of type 1 diabetes at the time of the study. Like other remote communities, these communities experience difficulties in accessing health services to prevent and manage diabetes. Twenty health care professionals and health service administrators in the IOT took part in semi-structured telephone interviews held during April-June 2020. Participants included GPs, nurses, dietitians, social and community services workers, school principals, and administrators. The interview questions focused on their perceptions of the current diabetes care in place in the IOT and their views on the challenges of providing diabetes care in the IOT. Results We identified four main barriers and two main enabling factors to the provision of effective diabetes care in the IOT. The barriers were: (i) societal influences; (ii) family; (iii) changing availability of food; (v) sustainability and communication. The two main enablers were: (i) tailoring interventions to meet local and cultural needs and values; and (ii) proactive compliance with the medical model of care. Conclusion Due to the cultural and linguistic diversity within the IOT, many of the identified barriers and enablers are unique to this community and need to be considered and incorporated into routine diabetes care to ensure successful and effective delivery of services in a remote context.
AB - Objective This qualitative study explored the current barriers and enablers of diabetes care in the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT). Methods A constructivist grounded theory approach that incorporated semi-structured telephone interviews was employed. Initial analysis of the interview transcripts used a line-by-line approach, to identify recurring themes, connections, and patterns, before they were re-labelled and categorised. This was followed by axial coding, categorisation refinement, and mapping of diabetes triggers in the IOT. Participants and setting The IOT, consisting of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, are some of the most remote areas in Australia. When compared with mainland Australia, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the IOT is disproportionately higher. There were no known cases of type 1 diabetes at the time of the study. Like other remote communities, these communities experience difficulties in accessing health services to prevent and manage diabetes. Twenty health care professionals and health service administrators in the IOT took part in semi-structured telephone interviews held during April-June 2020. Participants included GPs, nurses, dietitians, social and community services workers, school principals, and administrators. The interview questions focused on their perceptions of the current diabetes care in place in the IOT and their views on the challenges of providing diabetes care in the IOT. Results We identified four main barriers and two main enabling factors to the provision of effective diabetes care in the IOT. The barriers were: (i) societal influences; (ii) family; (iii) changing availability of food; (v) sustainability and communication. The two main enablers were: (i) tailoring interventions to meet local and cultural needs and values; and (ii) proactive compliance with the medical model of care. Conclusion Due to the cultural and linguistic diversity within the IOT, many of the identified barriers and enablers are unique to this community and need to be considered and incorporated into routine diabetes care to ensure successful and effective delivery of services in a remote context.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165927898&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0286517
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0286517
M3 - Article
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 18
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 7 July
M1 - e0286517
ER -