Improving Concordance in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes (ICOPE-D)

The purpose of this research is to help patients to control their diabetes more effectively, by allowing them to develop a greater understanding of their condition and increase their confidence to keep to necessary behaviour changes such as appropriate diet and regular exercise. The method used here is based on an ‘adherence therapy’ manual originally developed to help older people comply with their antidepressant medication. We think that this approach can be adapted to improve the extent to which people with diabetes stick to their treatment plans. We have selected this group of patients because diabetes presents a significant challenge, both to the patient and healthcare system. Diabetes is also increasingly common in the ageing population and can increase the risk of other serious conditions such as heart disease and stroke. If people can control their diabetes effectively, the risk of complications and further health problems can be reduced. In this study we compare patients’ ability to control their diabetes before and after therapy by looking at blood test results and rating-scale scores. If the treatment is effective, we plan to conduct a larger study in which patients receiving adherence therapy will be compared with patients having usual treatment only. The larger study would also allow us to see if any changes are maintained over the long-term.