Expert decision making in relation to unanticipated blood glucose levels

Abstract

How people (N = 22) with long-standing Type I diabetes make everyday self-care decisions, specifically in regard to unanticipated blood glucose levels (UBGLs) was investigated using grounded theory. Participants differentiated between decisions made in familiar and typical situations and those made in novel situations. Decisions made in familiar situations were straightforward, arising from a confident appraisal of the cause of the UBGL. The primary focus of decision making in response to an UBGL in familiar situations was the decision about the course of action. The focus in unfamiliar situations was the appraisal of the cause of the UBGL. It was characterized by the participants' lack of confidence and by a non-linear progression in which the individual retraced previous phases of the decision-making process or proceeded to tangential steps. Participants matched the features of previously encountered situations to construct a story that explained the events in order to generate some plausible hypotheses. A number of contextual and mediating variables were identified as influencing the decision-making process and the decisions they made. The findings of this research demonstrate that the decision maker's familiarity with the situation influences the nature of the decision-making processes that are used.

Exploring the meaning of hypoglycaemia to community‐dwelling Singaporean Chinese adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus

“…Participants in this study displayed different levels of hypoglycaemia‐related knowledge 51 . Similar to previous studies, 47,52 participants with knowledge deficits on the dynamics of blood glucose regulation were unable to identify appropriate hypoglycaemia prevention strategies.…”

Psychosocial issues of women with type 1 diabetes transitioning to motherhood: a structured literature review

“…Health professionals can help by paying attention to attributes of expertise in everyday diabetes management [19,41,42], in particular, how women assess risks, compare current with previous experiences, seek explanations for changing BGLs, choose actions, and evaluate their decisions [43]. It is critical to successful transitions that, simultaneous to forming meaningful relationships, women have to take control of their fluctuating BGLs to avoid unpredictable events such as hypo- or hyperglycaemia.…”

Symptom clusters of heart failure

“…It would be ideal to be able to identify symptoms as they occur, instead of retrospectively. One approach that may be effective in accomplishing this goal would be use of the “talk aloud” method of data collection, where patients are given a tape recorder and asked to describe their experiences as they occur (Paterson & Thorne, 2000). A final suggestion for future researchers is to determine whether the individual clusters increase diagnostic accuracy by clinicians.…”