Journal of Tourism & Hospitality
Open Access

Abstract

How do you get there with Diabetes? Results of a Survey of Diabetic Travelers

Blake E Elkins, Mark W True, Rosemarie G Ramos and Marcus M Cranston

Objective: Knowledge regarding risk of poor glucose control during travel among patients being treated for diabetes mellitus and the actions of their providers remains unclear. This study examined both patient knowledge gaps and provider practices. Design and Methods: We surveyed 228 military beneficiaries who had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. These surveys were administered prior to a routine diabetes clinic visit and addressed patient knowledge and behavior along with health care provider practice regarding disease management during travel. Results: The majority of our study population (85%) was > 50 years of age and had been living with diabetes for > 5 years. Only 18.5% had ever inquired about glucose monitoring during travel and among the study subset that required insulin, only 27.8% asked about insulin dosing during travel. Additionally, 76.5% had never been asked about upcoming travel by their provider during a routine clinic visit. Of the 51% of patients who sought travel advice, their sources included: nurse educators (35%) and American Diabetes Association materials (16.5%). Regarding travel outside the United States, 27.9% stated they would make pre-arrangements with a medical facility. The remainder would ask the United States Embassy or hotel staff for recommendations for medical care (72.1%) or prescription medication replacement (63%). Finally, <25% of patients surveyed would consider adjustments of medications while traveling between time zones. Conclusions: This study reveals a significant gap in health literacy among patients and a lack of attention by their providers regarding diabetes management during domestic and international travel.