View article

OBJECTIVE—Although patient diabetes self-management is a key determinant of health outcomes, there is little evidence on whether patients’ own assessments of their self-management correlates with glycemic control and key aspects of high-quality diabetes care. We explored these associations in a nationwide sample of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) patients with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We abstracted information on achieved level of glycemic control (HbA_1c) and diabetes processes of care (receipt of HbA_1c test, eye examination, and nephropathy screen) from medical records of 1,032 diabetic patients who received care from 21 VA facilities and had answered the Diabetes Quality Improvement Program survey in 2000. The survey included sociodemographic measures and a five-item scale assessing the patients’ diabetes self-management (medication use, blood glucose …