Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.24141/1/2/1/3
Clinical practice of diabetologists and diabetes nurses regarding sexual dysfunction (SD) in Croatian patients with diabetes
Dea Ajduković
; Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic, Clinical Hospital “Merkur”; University of Applied Health Sciences Zagreb
Abstract
This paper researched the clinical practice of diabetologists and diabetes nurses regarding sexual dysfunction (SD) in Croatian patients with diabetes. It included 39 physicians and 33 nurses, who filled out an anonymous questionnaire concerning their personal characteristics, the frequency of patients inquiring about SD, the likelihood that they will ask patients with particular medical and non-medical characteristics about SD, and the barriers to including SD in regular diabetology practice.
Two-thirds of physicians (n = 26) and the majority of nurses (n = 28) inquire about SD in less than half of men with diabetes; 7,7% diabetologists ask almost every patient about SD, and 15,4% of doctors and 54,8% of nurses ask almost none of the patients. Diabetologists are more likely to inquire about SD in patients who had diabetes longer than 10 years, and in those who have symptomatic (but not end-stage) chronic diabetes complications. They are more likely to ask about SD patients whom they perceive to be pleasant in communication, and patients who are younger, urban, married, and in a better material situation. The chief barriers include concern that patients may be uncomfortable with questions about sexuality, and a lack of knowledge and time to treat the SD.
Keywords
diabetes mellitus; sexual dysfunction; erectile dysfunction; diabetology; clinical practice; nursing
Hrčak ID:
164833
URI
Publication date:
12.4.2016.
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