Patients are unaware of clinical recommendations and resources.

Aims: The Emory Family Medicine Clinic (EFMC) sought to identify perceptions of recent patient-provider communications for patients with diabetes, factors influencing patient compliance with clinical recommendations, and patients' desire for additional resources to facilitate diabetes management.

Methods: Four focus group discussions were held June-August 2018 (3-9 participants each, 21 total). EFMC patients with uncontrolled diabetes received a phone invitation. A template analytic strategy, characterized by an initial set of codes based on interview content and expected types of responses and inductive codes, was used to thematically code the data.

Results: Most participants were single (62%), college educated (62%), had incomes less than $60,000 (76%), and were younger than 50 years old (62%). For themes related to barriers to compliance the participants mentioned the "business of medicine," convenience factors, food choices, accountability, feeling overwhelmed, costs, location/transportation, and miscommunications. Prevailing themes regarding facilitating compliance included a desire for help with self-accountability and prioritization of recommendations. The major desired patient resource was peer-support groups.

Conclusion: Patient understanding of the impact diabetes has on their life can affect adherence to treatment; hence patient education is critical. Payment policies should support innovative educational clinical visits with patients.