807-P: The Diabetes-Related Emotional and Attitude Distress (DREAD) Scale

Diabetes-related distress (DD) is defined as the emotional and regimen-specific burdens of managing diabetes and affects 38%-45% of patients. It is associated with poorer medical outcomes. Health care providers (HCPs) are on the frontline of diabetes care, but no known research has assessed DD in HCPs. This study developed a measure of DD from the perspective of HCPs. Items (N=69) were based on interviews and focus groups with HCPs who treat people with diabetes and rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The DREAD scale was completed by 135 HCPs. Mean age was 48.9 years, 90.8% female, 79.6% white, and 67.6% married. 49.3% were nurses/nurse practitioners, 16.9% endocrinologists and 16.2% dieticians. 56.3% identified as Certified Diabetes Educators. Evaluation of item distribution characteristics, Cronbach’s α, factor analysis and scree plot analysis indicated a 1-factor solution with 43 items. Cronbach’s α item to total was 0.92. A principal axis factor analysis was conducted; the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test supported sampling adequacy (KMO = .80, p < .001). The eigenvalue for the single factor was 9.11. Factor loadings ranged from 0.63 to 0.31. To test convergent validity, the DREAD total score was correlated with the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (r = 0.56, p< .001 for emotional exhaustion; r = 0.39, p < .001 for depersonalization; and r = 0.40, p < .001 for personal accomplishment) and the Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (r = 0.32, p < .001). Test-retest reliability (n = 93) was conducted >2-4 weeks after the first survey: coefficient r = 0.78 (p < .001). Diabetes-related distress is part of the caregiving experience among HCPs who treat diabetes. The DREAD scale demonstrated acceptable levels of validity and reliability in a diverse sample of HCPs. These results suggest that the DREAD scale measures a related, yet distinct, construct from general physician burnout. This measure may be used to evaluate the psychological impact of treating diabetes among HCPs in future samples.