Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service III (Projects aiming at quality service to patients and their carers)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Enhancing Partnership with Patients and Community (Projects initiated to engage patients / carers / community to improve efficiency / quality of care)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Au KY (1), Chau LL (2), Leung YYJ (3), Wong YY (4), Yim KYE (7), Wong YH (9), Kot WY (5), Chiu SMM (6), Wu HP (8), HUI PS (10), LAU YF (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) (2) Patient Resource Center (PRC) Service, HKEC (3) Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Ruttonjee & Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals (RTSKH) (4) Community Services, HKEC (5) Nethersole PRC, PYNEH (6) Health Resource Centre, RTSKH (7) Medical Social Work Department (MSWD), RTSKH (8) PRC, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital (TWEH) (9) MSWD, TWEH (10) Department of Medicine and Rehabilitation, TWEH
Introduction :
Managing diabetes is complex. It requires medical interventions and attention to emotional well-being. Studies illustrate a significant association between emotional disorders and diabetes. Individuals with diabetes often experience emotional distress. To address this, the Diabetes Team and PRCs have launched a psychosocial programme to offer emotional support and direct those who require further interventions.
Objectives :
1. Introduce stress-relief activities 2. Improve patients' emotional management skills 3. Assess patients' depressive symptoms
Methodology :
Workshops including Zentangle, Music, Aromatherapy, and Drawing were conducted and were led by volunteer certified teachers, during February and November 2023. Patients joined these workshops voluntarily or upon clinical referral. We use the self-report Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) to assess the presence and severity of depressive symptoms before (on day of enrolment) and after the workshop. Social workers engaged with those with higher scores and determine the need for further intervention by clinical psychologist.
Result & Outcome :
A total of 47 attendees (31 patients and 4 carers) participated the four workshops above, with ten patients participating in two or more workshops. The patients (n=26) are living with Type 2 diabetes between 45-81 years old (mean age 65.4+8.2 years old) with long-standing diabetes (12.6+9.3 years), majority are female (77%) and well-educated (39% with tertiary education). Six of them are insulin users (23%). The overall PHQ-8 score improved from 5.4+5.3 before the workshops (mild depression) to 3.6+4.4 after the workshop, indicating no or minimal symptoms (Means Difference 1.88 (95% CI:-4.0 to 0.2)). In the pre-workshop PHQ-8 questionnaire, 12 responders (26%) had PHQ-8 score >8 (mild depression); 5 patients had score >8 after the programme. Participant feedback was positive, 98% of the participants expressed that the workshops relieved their stress, and 96% reported feeling relaxed and happy afterwards.
Conclusion: Regular psychosocial activities can help patients manage emotional stress. Effective screening, monitoring, and guiding those in need to seek appropriate support and health resources are essential.
