Back to the Beginning: Diagnosis Experiences of Persons with Type Two Diabetes

Background: One in ten adults in the United States has diabetes; the vast majority are diagnosed with type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Even though diabetes care has significantly evolved, and a wide variety of pharmacological treatments are available, approximately one-half of people with type two diabetes do not achieve a hemoglobin A1C of less than seven percent. In addition, self-management is a consequential contributor to glycemic control. In light of the mortality, morbidity, decreased quality of life, and financial burden caused by T2DM, the author wanted to explore the diagnosis experiences of type two diabetics. Could their experiences be a contributing factor to less-than-optimal treatment outcomes? Methods: The author interviewed nine consenting adults with T2DM in person, over the telephone, and via videoconference over four weeks in March and April 2023. The data from each transcript was analyzed independently and then compared, identifying meanings and clustering themes found throughout utilizing descriptive phenomenology as the underpinning for this study.