Title:	The DIALOGUE Study: How can patients’ experiences contribute to improving care for type 2 diabetes? (DIALOGUE – Diabetes Learning Opportunities Generated by Users’ Experiences)
Principal research question:	The study addresses two linked questions: How do patients experience primary care services for type 2 diabetes? Does feeding these experiences back to primary care teams lead to improvements in care?
Background:	MREC Reference : 04/Q1605/62
Methodology description:	This is a qualitative study of patients’ narrative accounts of their experiences of diabetes care. People registered with the six practices were recruited by postal invitation to participate in a semi-structured interview, usually in their own home. Interviews were taped and transcribed. The analysis was based on a grounded theory approach and NVIVO was used to code and retrieve text. Two researchers read the transcripts independently and developed a provisional coding frame, which was further revised as the analysis proceeded. The data was analysed at both practice and project level, so feedback for individual practices could be identified, but the whole dataset could also be used to gain a fuller picture of participants’ experiences. Emerging hypotheses were tested in later interviews and in the focus groups. Following the individual interviews, the same participants were invited to attend a focus group at a local community centre to discuss the draft report on diabetes care at their practice. In order to evaluate the impact of feedback, anonymous reports were provided to each of the six practices on the experiences of people registered with them, as well as results from the wider study. The meetings were taped and transcribed. After a presentation of the research findings, primary care team members were given an opportunity to discuss the results and identify priorities for change. Further follow-up visits were conducted to assess changes in practice. The findings have been presented at national conferences and are currently being written up for publication.
Sample group description:	Purposive sample of people with type 2 diabetes registered with six practices in East Anglia. 209 people were approached and 73 (35%) agreed to take part. 10 were of South Asian ethnic origin. 38 (51%) of the participants subsequently attended focus groups to discuss the feedback reports to their practices. A number of those who did not attend focus groups were unavailable, or housebound.
Outcome measure description:	1. Qualitative study to understand people’s experiences of diabetes care. 2. Evaluation of the impact of feedback on provision of diabetes care.
Project organisation
Start date:	1st August 2004
End date:	31st October 2008
Contact person:	Dr Jonathan Graffy
Contact Details:	Primary Care Research Unit Institute of Public Health University Forvie Site, Robinson Way Cambridge Cambs CB2 0SR UK Telephone: (01223) 330322 Fax: 01223 762515 E-mail: jpg43@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Funding information
Funding Organisation:	NHS R&D Support Funding
Funding Reference:	2005/06
Funding Amount:	£2,783
Funding Organisation:	National R&D
Funding Reference:	–
Funding Amount:	£423,960
References and Publications