Medical Nutrition Therapy, In-Person, or Telephone Group Lifestyle Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes? A Qualitative Study of Patient Perceptions and Treatment Preferences.

The study interviewed 57 patients from 168 contacted at 3 community health centers, and only English-speaking patients were included, so the views may not represent other settings or languages. Not all participants had tried each format, so many preferences reflected expectations rather than direct experience. The interview guide did not clearly distinguish prior visits with a dietitian, nurse, nurse practitioner, or doctor, so past clinician experience was hard to interpret. Questions about internet access were added after some interviews had started, so only 22 participants were asked about computer access and 27 were asked about phone access. Video conferencing was not discussed in detail, so preferences for remote formats may have been incomplete. The interviews were done in 2014 to 2015, before widespread telehealth use during the pandemic. This is a qualitative study of preferences, so it cannot show which treatment format works best.

One author reported serving on data monitoring committees for Novo Nordisk A/S. Another reported advisory board service for Omada Health, JanaCare, and WW, and stock options in Omada Health and JanaCare. Other authors reported no conflicts. The article is listed as supported by NIH and non-U.S. government research funding.

Do not read these preferences as evidence that any format works better for weight loss or diabetes control. The study only asked patients what they preferred and why, and many responses were about anticipated experiences rather than tested outcomes.