Insulin Treatment Variation in Southwestern Diabetics

Background: Minority populations are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), likely due to an interaction of genetic and environmental risk factors. Several studies have documented a higher prevalence of insulin resistance, disparities in quality of care, and more microvascular and macrovascular complications in minority groups. Recent evidence by our research group indicates that insulin-using minority veterans have poorer glycemic control (as measured by HbA1c) and receive lower doses of insulin than do non-Hispanic white patients.

Objectives: The goal of this mixed methods descriptive, cross-sectional study is to elucidate the patient, provider and interactive patient/provider reasons for this discrepancy, to determine and validate these findings in a much larger sample, and to use what is discovered to develop strategies to remedy provider and patient behaviors in order to optimize health outcomes. The objective of this mixed method study is to unpack provider decision-making and patient self-care behaviors responsible for ethnic and racial variation in the use of insulin in veterans with T2DM receiving VA care, while adjusting for important covariates and confounders. Aim 1: Perform a qualitative provider Nominal Group Technique designed to elucidate insulin prescribing decision-making behaviors, and possible reasons for racial/ethnic variation in insulin use. Aim 2: Perform a qualitative content analysis of patient focus group data on insulin-using veterans in VA care across African American, Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (NHW) contrasts. Psychosocial determinants of self-care, diabetes care preferences, patient/provider relationship issues, and possible reasons for racial/ethnic variation in insulin use will be explored. Aim 3: Construct a) patient, and b) provider questionnaires reflective of qualitative focus group data, nominal group process and extant evidence-base findings, and Aim 4: Administer surveys to a) a racially/ethnically diverse random sample of insulin-using diabetic veterans receiving care within VISN 18, and b) their assigned primary care providers.

Methods: This is a mixed methods descriptive, cross-sectional study using 1) qualitative nominal group technique data (from providers), focus group data (from patients) and 2) provider and nested patient survey data. The investigators will use qualitative methods to explicate and deconstruct the etiologic associations and management strategies of insulin-using patients and their providers using focus group content analytical methods. Next, the investigators will use the extant evidence from the evidence-base, focus group data and conventional survey methods to construct two surveys-one targeted to providers and another to survey a randomly selected population of representative veterans nested within their providers VA care, following the recommendations of Hughes, O'Brien and Dillman.

Status: Completed.