Objectives: Our aim in this study was to identify patient-level barriers to attending pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) clinic and to better understand the demographic and clinical characteristics of these reporting barriers.
Methods: Patients were recruited from pediatric T1DM clinics throughout British Columbia. Barriers to attending clinic were identified through a survey. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who reported difficulty attending clinic appointments were compared with those who did not.
Results: Of the 197 study participants, 31% reported difficulty attending appointments. Commonly reported barriers were distance to clinic and missing work. Younger child age and residing in northern regions increased the odds of reporting a barrier, whereas residing on Vancouver Island decreased odds of reporting a barrier. There were no differences in glycated hemoglobin levels between the 2 groups.
Conclusions: Approximately 1 in 3 patients identified challenges in attending T1DM appointments in British Columbia. Further research is needed to determine whether similar challenges exist in other provinces.
Keywords: barriers; clinic attendance; diabète de type 1; expérience des patients; obstacles; patient experience; pediatrics; présence à la clinique; pédiatrie; type 1 diabetes.
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