Factors complicating the diabetes management of visitors to Japan : advices from a Japanese National Center for overseas medical staff

Linguistic, cultural, and geographical differences might challenge the management of diabetes patients travelling in a culturally and linguistically homogeneous country. This article presents an instructive case and identifies various factors that can help in effective diabetes management of such cases. A Russian female patient aged 23 came to Japan and visited our hospital for a second opinion regarding glycemic control. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age three and started insulin injections and diet therapy with carbohydrate counting methods. Her HbA1c level was 11.0% with multiple daily insulin injections. She showed neuropathy, nephropathy, and blindness due to her progressed retinopathy. Because of the language barrier, suggestions for lifestyle modification were not effectively conveyed to the patient. We analyzed possible barriers to effective diabetes management in such foreign patients. In addition to language barriers and difficulties in diet therapy, dissimilar diabetes treatment guidelines, inadequate healthcare insurance, and stress-inducing conditions can be barriers to effective diabetes management. Foreign diabetes patients might face several barriers in effective management while travelling in Japan. Use of medical interpreters, adequate medical insurance, and trained medical staff will help in overcoming these barriers.