Supporting people with diabetes mellitus in applying for and participating effectively in paid work: validation of successful diabetes-related behaviors by experiential experts and professional care providers.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To validate successful diabetes-related behaviors, proposed by a group of experiential experts, and to support people with diabetes in applying for and participating effectively in work. METHODS: In a survey among 77 experiential experts and 21 professional care providers, the behaviors were critically appraised regarding several key characteristics. RESULTS: Experiential experts (median scores 91%, 86%, and 86%) and professionals (median scores 76%, 76%, and 81%) mostly agreed with these behaviors in terms of clarity, content, and relevance, respectively. Feasibility was seen as somewhat problematic, with median scores by experiential experts and professionals of 65% and 52%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both groups confirmed the validity of the proposed work-related behaviors that were expected to support people with diabetes. The challenge is to implement these behaviors in practice, by effective dissemination and incorporation in work-related self-management programs.