Towards a better understanding of self-management interventions in type 2 diabetes: A concept analysis.

Objectives: Diabetes self-management educational (DSME) interventions can vary considerably, and it is unclear what is the operational conceptualization of the ideal delivery to individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Design: From a search conducted concurrently we extracted and evaluated the 50 most recently published DSME intervention studies. Based on an analysis of these studies, we undertook a concept analysis using the Walker and Avant framework.

Results: Five attributes describing the concept were recognized and organized into two groups. Group (a): skills related attributes that included (1) decision making, (2) problem solving and (3) taking action. Group (b): information related attributes that included (4) patient-provider interaction and (5) resource utilization.

Conclusions: The outcomes of this study make the operational conceptualization of the ideal DSME intervention measurable through its attributes and hence clarifies its delivery. This will improve the implementation of the key attributes in diabetes self-management intervention programs for T2D.