Description

Introduction: Substantial inequities in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) management exist across the nation, especially in medically underserved communities of color with pre-existing health disparities. It is pivotal to elevate the voices of patients from diverse ethnoracial backgrounds who disproportionately experience health inequities to identify best practices for supporting them. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess the perceived healthcare and social needs of T2D patients at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in San Diego County. Methods: Patients with T2D were recruited from an FQHC in California to participate in a one-on-one telephone interview. Twenty-six patients agreed to participate (50.7% female, 80.7% Hispanic/Latinx; mean age: 57.57). A semi-structured interview guide was designed to assess participant perspectives on best practices for their T2D diabetes management. Most interviews (84.6%) were conducted in Spanish. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed for analysis. Interview transcripts were analyzed using the Rapid and Rigorous Qualitative Data Analysis technique. Results: Participants described how additional health education and supportive services related to blood sugar monitoring and nutritional intake could improve T2D management. Participants suggest enhancing T2D diabetes management with additional health education from FQHCs related to blood sugar monitoring, dietary intake, and establishing supportive interpersonal rapport with clinics. Diverse ethnoracial patients expressed the benefits of positive relationships with their providers as a critical factor that motivated them to engage in T2D diabetes management. Discussion or Implications: Future research should consider the extent of limited health literacy among T2D racial/ethnic communities as it introduces a barrier to advanced T2D management. Responses indicate that enriched patient health education and interpersonal patient-provider communication may improve health literacy and T2D management for diverse patients.