Identifying and Prioritizing Diabetes Care Issues Among Mental Health Professionals of a Multi-Ethnic, State Psychiatric Hospital

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize diabetes care issues in a multi-ethnic, state psychiatric hospital.Research design and methods. The nominal group technique (NGT) was used to gather qualitative and quantitative data. Three NGT groups were conducted with various mental health professionals from the hospital.Results and conclusions. The overall results indicated that the primary concerns relating to diabetes care among hospital staff included 1) lack of knowledge of diabetes care by both patients and staff; 2) lack of proper training in diabetes care among staff; 3) poor communication between hospital units and mental health disciplines; and 4) need for a multi-modal and cross-cultural approach to diabetes care.