Sophia Lin
Research Mentor: Kevin Joiner
Mentor Department: Dept of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, Nursing
Author(s): Sophia Lin, Alexandra Agapiou, Welles Harrington, Kevin Joiner
Session: Session 6 (3:00 PM – 3:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Abstract
People with type 1 diabetes encounter stigma in multiple facets of their lifestyle. Feelings of stigma can deter people from conducting diabetes self-care activities, leading to negative mental and physical health outcomes. Stigmatizing language usage in healthcare providers can invoke feelings of judgement, which may contribute to patients with type 1 diabetes becoming lost to followup—especially for young adults transitioning away from pediatric care. However, non-stigmatizing language usage can make the provider seem more approachable for young adults. To promote non-stigmatizing language usage in primary care providers, the research team created an educational module that elaborates upon the American Diabetes Association and the Association for Diabetes Care & Education Specialists’ 2017 guidance on recommendations for stigma-free communication. The participants (n = 16) consisted of primary care providers in the United States, who regularly provide care for adults with type 1 diabetes. Participants reviewed the educational module and were given a semi-structured interview. Transcripts of the interview were then coded and analyzed through Atlas.ti. Three key themes were observed from the data: the impact of clinic and systemic culture on language practices, the role of family in type 1 diabetes language usage, and promoting patient advocacy through respectful language.
