A qualitative study on the perceived benefits of back to basics-diabesties session among individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus and caregivers in India

Aim: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that makes self-care challenging for T1DM individuals and their caregivers. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceived benefits of the Back to Basics-Diabesties (B2B) session among T1DM individuals and their caregivers in India. Materials and Methods: The B2B session is a structured intervention provided through telephonic peer counseling, aimed at enhancing the understanding of T1DM that provides practical knowledge of diabetes management, insulin administration, blood glucose monitoring, diet, exercise, and psychosocial aspects of living with T1DM. Overall, more than 1560 participants (T1DM/caregivers/family/friends) have opted for B2B session. A qualitative telephonic interview was conducted (n = 96) using a semistructured open-ended questionnaire to collect data on the perceived benefits of B2B session. The information obtained was then coded, and grouped to form themes. Results: According to T1DM individuals, B2B sessions enhanced diabetes knowledge and confidence, self-management abilities, increased sense of community and peer support, and easy accessibility. Caregivers reported that the B2B session provided emotional support, disease knowledge, shared experiences, practical ideas, and coping strategies. Most widely appreciated salient feature of B2B session was the peer counselors were themselves with T1DM or caregivers of T1DM, which created unbreakable trust among the study participants. Clinical evidence after B2B session showed a 23% of improvement in the glycated hemoglobin (<8%) and nearly 8% of drop in hypoglycemic events and 17% of drop in hyperglycemic episodes. Conclusion: This study shows the benefits of peer counseling, which could help healthcare professionals and policymakers improve diabetes education and support programs for T1DM patients and their caregivers in India.