Patient Prefer Adherence. 2026 Aug 19;20:627312. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S627312. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the heterogeneity in self-management behaviors and psychological characteristics among patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), and to construct patient user profiles by integrating demographic and clinical characteristics, thereby providing a basis for developing personalized nursing strategies.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 273 patients with DR were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Wenzhou between March and August 2025. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale, the Self-Efficacy to Manage Chronic Disease Scale, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and the NEI VFQ-25 scale. K-means clustering was employed to identify potential subgroups, and statistical comparisons were made to examine demographic differences across clusters.
RESULTS: Three clusters were identified, forming three distinct user profiles: distressed dependent type, proactive pioneering type, and balanced transitional type. Significant differences were observed among the three profiles in education level, occupational status, place of residence, per capita monthly household income, diabetes treatment methods, diabetes duration, HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, left eye intraocular pressure, and quality of life related to visual function.
CONCLUSION: This study developed three patient profiles. In future clinical practice, healthcare professionals can rapidly identify patients with different risk characteristics based on these profiles and implement targeted, stratified interventions, thereby improving self-management ability, prognosis, and quality of life in patients with DR.
PMID:42634782 | PMC:PMC13500001 | DOI:10.2147/PPA.S627312
