Evaluation of patient satisfaction following oral glucose tolerance test

Abstract

Aim: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common metabolic disease. Early diagnosis of diabetes prevents the increase in mortality and morbidity due to complications. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is a test used in the diagnosis of DM and in the determination of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). In our study, it was aimed to evaluate the satisfaction of patients who underwent OGTT. Methods: A 25-question questionnaire was applied to 300 patients who underwent OGTT, aiming to evaluate their satisfaction. The physical and psychological status of the patients was examined before, during, and after the test. Results: Patients who were informed about the test before the test experienced less nausea during fluid intake (p=0.005). Approximately 58.7% of the participants agreed to repeat the test. Those who felt nauseous or hungry during the test were statistically less likely to accept retesting. The retest acceptance rates were statistically higher (p<0.05) among individuals who did not feel uncomfortable with the blood draw and inactivity and who did not vomit or feel uneasy during the test. 70% of the participants answered 'yes' to the suggestion of using an alternative diagnostic method. Conclusion: OGTT is the gold standard for the diagnosis of IGT and DM, despite tests such as HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose, which are more easily performed and practical. It would be beneficial to develop another method that is easy to apply, better tolerated by patients, easy to repeat, and can be standardized instead of OGTT.