‘I realised I had diabetes’: diagnostic realisation as a social process of becoming a person with Type 2 diabetes
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Newton, P.D. 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8525-6763, Asimakopoulou, A. and Scambler, S.
(2009)
‘I realised I had diabetes’: diagnostic realisation as a
social process of becoming a person with Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetic Medicine, 26 (P509).
pp. 79-199.
ISSN 0742 3071
(doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.2009.02663.x)
Abstract
Aims: Approaches to diagnosis have traditionally studied the diagnostic process as one of professionals conferring a role or label to the person, and/or the impact on the patient. These approaches often explore the social‘utility’ of labels and roles; inequalities regarding or resultant from diagnosis; and/or personal meanings attached to diagnosis. Whereas, other studies put factors patients bring to diagnosis, e.g. health beliefs, at the forefront. This research started from the patient perspective and discovered how diagnoses are ‘enacted’, i.e. how people realised the real and anticipatory effects of their diagnosis within the practical elements of everyday life.
Methods: Respondents were recruited from a Local Diabetes Patient Participation Group to explore their experiences of managing Type 2 diabetes. The research employed mixed data-collection methods - semi-structured interviews (n525); three focus groups (n512 participants in total); or a qualitative questionnaire (n56) - to generate qualitative data.
Findings: People interviewed engaged in two key, interrelated processes in relation to realising the diagnosis of diabetes: they adjusted close relationships, relationships with professionals and their understandings of their own past, present and future.
Conclusions: It is acknowledged that although factors (such as beliefs and motivation), as well as sociological phenomena (such as inequalities, and labelling) can interplay and/or have causal efficacy in the diagnostic process, they do not sufficiently describe how diagnosis becomes a ‘reality’ (or not) for people with diabetes.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | diagnosis, diabetes |
| Pre-2014 Departments: | School of Health & Social Care School of Health & Social Care > Nursing Research Group |
| Related URLs: | |
| Last Modified: | 14 Oct 2016 09:15 |
| URI: | http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/5770 |
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