Professional responses to innovation in clinical method: Diabetes care and negotiating skills

Objective: To describe the responses of family doctors and nurses to applying an innovative clinical technique and technology in the context of a randomised controlled trial. Design: Multi-faceted descriptive analysis of professional responses in the experimental arm of the trial. Subjects and setting: 29 family practices involving 30 doctors and 33 nurses over a 3-year time scale and 200 patients with type II diabetes. Intervention: A new visual agenda-setting technology and other visual aids applied using the techniques of negotiation and motivational interviewing. Outcome measures: Uptake of training, use of the method, group discussions, willingness to accept consultation recordings. Results: 100% of clinicians welcomed two or more formal training sessions. The agenda-setting technology was used frequently by 71% of clinicians and occasionally by a further 22%. High levels of engagement with the method occurred among nurses but many doctors also reported benefits. Conclusions: Family doctors and nurses in Wales have found a new technology to facilitate negotiation in diabetes consultations acceptable and useful. Analysis of outcome is now awaited.