Effect of Patient Counseling in Improving Physical and Mental Health of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with insulin hypo-secretion or insulin insensitivity. Despite the availability of treatment, diabetes has remained a major cause of death. The main goal of any medical care is the improvement of the patients’ overall quality of life. The aim of this paper was to assess the impact of pharmacist provided patient counseling on physical and mental health outcomes in type-2 diabetes mellitus. The prospective observational study was carried out at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical sciences (RIMS), Kadapa. This study was conducted over a 2-month period from February 2014 to March 2014. The study population was both men and women if they had uncontrolled type-2 diabetes mellitus, FBS level > 129 mg/dL and RBS > 200 mg/dL, age group (> 30 years). The patients meeting the inclusion criteria were asked to fill the SF-12 questionnaire and the baseline data was obtained. Each patient was counseled regarding their disease, medications and lifestyle modifications and advised to revisit after one month. Upon their revisit same questionnaire was again asked to be filled by them and the data obtained were compared with baseline data collected previously. Out of 200 patients, majority of patients 168 (84%) answered only physical components, followed by 152 (76%) answered both physical and mental components, finally 56 (28%) patients answered only mental components. Upon assessing the physical and mental health functioning of the patients, there was an improvement in both the components after providing education by counseling process regarding disease, medication and lifestyle changes. The present study also concluded that chronic diseases like diabetes affect the quality of life of patients. As the main goal of any medical care is the improvement of the patients’ overall quality of life, the clinical pharmacist imparted patient education through counseling has a major role in improving the physical as well as mental health outcomes.

Keywords: Patient counseling, Type-2 diabetes mellitus, physical and
mental health outcomes