Assessment of a web-based Guided Self-Determination intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes in general practice: a study protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Self-management is deemed the cornerstone in overall diabetes management. Webbased self-management interventions have potential to support adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in managing their disease. Owing to somewhat ambiguous results of such interventions, interventions should be theory-based and incorporate well-defined counselling methods and techniques for behavioural change. This study is designed to assess the effectiveness of a theory-driven web-based Guided Self-Determination (GSD) intervention among adults with T2DM in general practice to improve diabetes selfmanagement behaviours and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Methods and analysis: A complex intervention design based on the framework of the UK Medical Research Council is employed as a guide for developing the intervention, assessing its feasibility and evaluating its effectiveness. The study consists of three phases: (1) the modelling phase adapting the original GSD programme for adults with T2DM, using a qualitative design, (2) feasibility assessment of the adapted intervention on the web, employing qualitative and quantitative methods and (3) evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention on diabetes selfmanagement behaviours and HbA1c, using a quasiexperimental design. The first phase, which is completed, and the second phase, which is underway, will provide important information about the development of the intervention and its acceptability, whereas the third phase will assess the effectiveness of this systematically developed intervention.