Diet and exercise are the cornerstones of treatment for persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus, yet patients find these areas of self-management to be the most difficult. Considerable research has indicated that barriers to diet and exercise are critical influences determining adherence to diet and exercise plans. Standards of practice require educators to assess patient barriers to self-management. However, little research has investigated whether patients and educators perceive these barriers similarly. This project's objectives were to compare and contrast patients' and educators' perspectives of patient barriers to following a meal or exercise plan, and to identify differences in patients' perceived barriers as related to patient characteristics. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 97) from three eastern Washington area hospitals and diabetes educators (n = 143) from the Washington Association of Diabetes Educators (WADE) were recruited for a mail survey. From the patient survey, the proportion of patients on meal plan (52%) or exercise plan (26%) was low. Certain barriers were prominent for both patients and educators relative to diet (difficulty maintaining a diet away from home, liking foods not in the meal plan) and exercise (not a high priority, weather). However, multivariate analyses indicated that patients and educators view barriers differently. Similarities and differences between educators and patients in response to barriers are discussed relative to enhancing diabetes counseling and education, and overall communication between educators and patients.

Educators appeared to relate many patient barriers to a lack of patient understanding of the evolving nature of diabetes and the subsequent need for educational support. The role of continuing education for all patients needs to be emphasized to the patient during the initial education, as well as to the healthcare community and the patient's support network.

Diabetes educators need to understand self-care experiences of patients with diabetes in the early stage after diagnosis and education. A survey assessed patient-generated measures of experiences with goals (self-care behaviors) after diabetes education among patients with type 2 diabetes (N = 97) between 6 months and 1.5 years since diagnosis. Most patients set goals during diabetes education and thought that the goals were useful. There is evidence suggesting that patients experiencing difficulty with traditional self-care behaviors may use approaches to evaluate their diabetes control that are not encouraged in diabetes education, such as monitoring their physical and emotional feelings. Implications for diabetes education and counseling practices are suggested.