Participant Explanations for Non-Completion of a Diabetes Self-Management Education Program

The purpose of this study was to identify reasons for non-completion of an accredited diabetes self-management education program offered at a hospitalbased diabetes and nutrition center in a Southeastern state. A cross-sectional study design was used to implement an anonymous survey which was mailed to patients with diabetes who started, but did not complete diabetes selfmanagement education classes during a one year time period. The survey was designed to gain information regarding participants' rationale for not completing classes, things that would have influenced participants to continue classes, and what they liked about the classes that they did complete. Data were analyzed for the final sample size of 98 participants. The most commonly reported reason participants gave for why they stopped coming to classes was they thought they had completed. Other reasons included not being able to afford the cost, logistical issues, and competing obligations. Participants' responses to the survey question about what would have caused them to continue attending were categorized as personal, economic, logistical, and other reasons. Participants gave many open-ended answers to the survey question about what they liked about the classes that included the class content, instructors, and peer support. Identifying patient barriers and facilitators to participation in diabetes self-management education classes can assist educators to address these issues and promote patient involvement. In this study, a need was identified to emphasize the importance of diabetes self-management education follow-up visits.