Project 173026

Diabetes is becoming increasingly common, and persons with diabetes unfortunately frequently develop heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and other serious complications. Although these complications can't be completely prevented, lifestyle, medications and other treatments can prevent such complications in a large number of persons with diabetes. Unfortunately, there are gaps in the quality of preventive care currently received by persons with diabetes. For example, high blood sugars are frequently under-treated. Given the longstanding nature of diabetes, teaching patients to care for themselves - "self-management" - can help to bridge this gap. Although these strategies can work, doctors may not do this as part of routine care, patient participation in these programs is low, and the effects of these programs wear off over time. Using the Web may be helpful, by including strategies for changing behaviour over the long-term, that are available to more people, and that can happen outside of the doctor's office. Unfortunately, many diabetes websites use a traditional type of presentation that does not appeal to the person nor use proven strategies for changing behaviour. This project will compare self-confidence, self-management skills, quality of life, satisfaction, blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight in participants at several time points before the tool is put into use, and compare them with those measured at several time points after six months. This project will also ask participants whether the web-based resource is feasible and acceptable. This study will examine tools that may improve the lives of people with diabetes at a personal and population level, and direct resources for optimal health care delivery.