The COVID19 pandemic – Perspectives from people living with diabetes

Abstract

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Quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes in adult Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic

“…It is also important to mention, that mean score of perceived hypoglycemia was superior in the current study in comparison to those of Atallah et al [ 17 ]. This could be explained by the impact of COVID-19 on patient’s food consumption or diet changes [ 5 ]. On the contrary, in the Saudi Arabia study [ 16 ], the incidence of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia did not differ significantly between the pre- and post-lockdown phase for COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…The pandemic has severely disrupted routine diabetes self-management because of changes in diet due to unavailability of certain food products and difficulty in maintaining physical exercise due to the lockdown. Furthermore, people with T2DM were facing difficulties visiting doctors and refilling prescriptions [ 5 ].…”

How might remote management of diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 pandemic impact patient care?

“…However, algorithms are not yet able to replicate the human-based elements of the HCP-patient interaction. As humans, we are an intensely social species that relies heavily on social interaction (as evidenced by the negative impact of recent COVID-19-induced national 'lock-downs' and social isolation on our mental health) [5,6]. Living with DM often associates with much distress [7] that requires careful and empathic evaluation and assessment, with the offer of potential solutions such as focused education for example.…”

Exploring the Perspective of Diabetes, Diabetes Self-Management, and Quality of Life Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…First, the pandemic has resulted in global lockdowns and preventive measures such as physical distancing, use of face masks, stay-at-home policies, and restrictions on social gatherings contributing to social isolation, all of which are risk factors for poor diabetes self-management and QoL. 14,15 Despite the benefits of diabetes self-management, it remains a challenge for many older adults even before the pandemic, due to various biological and psychosocial barriers such as frequent episodes of bodily fatigue, weakness, and hypoglycemia among other health ailments, insufficient self-efficacy to practice strict self-management regimes, or a lack of caregiving and support from family members. [16][17][18] While isolation and protective measures are crucial for older adults with T2DM, these measures could potentially amplify the existing barriers to diabetes selfmanagement, thereby affecting their QoL.…”

“…19 Moreover, the extent to which the effects of COVID-19 reported by the general population are experienced by older adults with T2DM is not well documented. 14,15 Second, existing literature has focused on the perception of diabetes self-management to understand its barriers, and studies are often conducted among patients within the acute hospital settings, who may offer differing insights from older adults residing in the community. 20,21 Notably, there were limited qualitative studies on illness perception and QoL concerning diabetes self-management despite consistent studies demonstrating a strong relationship between these factors.…”