After the global study conducted by Servier in partnership with Stethos International among patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, which aimed to better understand the unmet needs in the management of the disease, the Group is once again translating its commitment to patients into concrete actions. Since July, patients can find in their doctor’s waiting room an information brochure allowing them to improve communication with their doctor.
For people with type 2 diabetes, it is not always easy to find the right words to talk about their disease with their doctor: consultations can remain difficult, even after years of experience with the disease. Living with diabetes can also raise many questions on a variety of topics (treatment, daily life, diet, etc.) that are sometimes hard to answer.
The keys to good communication
Co-developed with patient representatives from different countries, the “Patient-Doctor: Let’s Speak the Same Language” brochure provides patients with type 2 diabetes around the world with information and tips on how to better communicate with their health care provider. The brochure presents actions that may be undertaken before, during, and after the consultation, to improve the patient’s care and quality of life and make him/her a real actor in his/her health. Patients will also find examples of questions frequently asked by other diabetic patients, as well as a simplified medical glossary to better understand their disease and the terms used by the doctor.
The advantages of better communication with the doctor are numerous: immediate resolution of problems identified, or difficulties encountered by the patient, help adapted to the patient’s profile, renewed confidence and motivation, better clinical results, etc. Several patients express themselves in this regard:
“Over the years, I have come to realize that the quality of the human connection in a doctor-patient relationship is paramount to personalized treatment and better clinical outcomes,”
“The doctor is there to help me. He/she can’t help me properly if I don’t tell him/her the whole story, including the Coke I drank yesterday,”
Read the brochure
Patient testimony: watch Heather Koga’s video
Diabetes, the “lifestyle disease”
Diabetes, and in particular type 2 diabetes, which accounts for approximately 90% of all diabetes cases worldwide, is a major global health issue. In 2040, the WHO estimates that there will be 622 million people with diabetes.
Historically committed to the treatment of type 2 diabetes, Servier has launched several global initiatives aimed at improving patient care and quality of life: a disease awareness campaign – #actnowfordiabetes – to better recognize and understand the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and encourage early diagnosis; support for patients from the first days of the disease with the “Diabetes Words” digital app; and cooking classes adapted to their diet.