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- Screening for emotional problems in diabetes � a simple measure with a great impactShow More
Most guidelines about diabetes care agree that the prevention of complications and the maintenance of an optimal quality of life are the primary goals of diabetes therapy. Diabetes as a chronic, life-long disease confronts patients with the possible development of acute and late complications. Furthermore, patients with diabetes have to deal with a complex diabetes management including lifestyle changes, blood glucose s...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Reply to Dr. ValeShow More
We thank Dr. Vale for his thoughtful comments about our paper and about diabetes distress in general. We wish to make two points in response.
First, Dr. Vale suggests the clinical utility of reviewing the “repetitive thoughts” often associated with diabetes distress. We agree and urge clinicians to use the scale, and other approaches, to identify specific areas of patient concern and distress. In fact, the m...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Diabetes-specific distressShow More
Diabetes-specific distress, as stated by Fisher et al (1) “… is a common condition frequently confused with depressive disorders. However, interventions that effectively treat depression do not also improve diabetes behavioral and biological outcomes, and interventions that treat diabetes management do not necessarily reduce the depressive disorder …”. As a result, a specific concept was required and the “Diabetes-specif...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Reply to Dr. CrownoverShow More
Dr. Crownover raises the important issue of creating a diabetes team, rather than consolidating all care within the physician's 15 minute contact with the patient. Screening can take place in a variety of pre-visit settings, undertaken by trained personnel from different professional backgrounds. The different staffing, culture and flow of each practice determines what might work best. We applaud consideration of re-de...
Competing Interests: None declared. - DM distress screen - another pebble or a prize?Show More
-Each little task associated with DM care is brief when viewed in isolation; collectively the total number of tasks from eye screening to metformin refills can be daunting in a 15 minute visit. One of my colleagues uses the analogy of each task is like another pebble added to a sack we carry on our backs daily. A single pebble is light, but together all the pebbles become an anchor.
-So, does this additional scr...
Competing Interests: None declared.