To codesign a preclinic Diabetes Priorities Questionnaire (DPQ) tool for people with type 2 diabetes and healthcare professionals to identify patient needs in advance and enable efficient, patient-centred consultations for diabetes management.
Participatory approach using codesign focus groups to explore perspectives and develop solutions.
This study was conducted in Western Sydney, Australia, an area with high socioeconomic disadvantage and cultural diversity.
10 adults with type 2 diabetes and 8 healthcare providers including specialists, diabetes educators, general practitioners, dietitians and pharmacists were recruited from a public hospital-based outpatient diabetes service and community-based providers in Western Sydney.
The codesign process was employed to iteratively develop and refine the DPQ. Focus groups were conducted in a hybrid format including in person and online, using semistructured discussions on four key topics: (1) understanding the purpose of the tool, (2) usability of the tool, (3) perceived benefits of completing the tool and (4) asking the right questions (content). Participants were invited to review and provide feedback on the initial set of questions, with the aim of identifying key challenges and potential solutions to enhance the content and uptake of the tool. Feedback was collected through audio recordings and field notes. These insights informed successive revisions of the DPQ following each round of focus groups.
Five focus groups involving 18 participants identified opportunities to improve the initial questions by restructuring their order, simplifying the content and incorporating concerns about diabetes complications, including mental health. Participants highlighted the importance of holistic care and the need for both digital and paper-based formats to enhance accessibility.
The final DPQ was digitised within a patient care portal and integrated with tailored diabetes educational content. By enabling preconsultation screening, the codesigned DPQ supports multidisciplinary teams in delivering patient-centred care. Further research is needed to assess the tool’s impact on clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and healthcare efficiency.