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Background/Hypothesis: Risk factor control of diabetes mellitus (DM) and especially dyslipidemia remains unsatisfactory in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We aimed to analyze the knowledge of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) treatment goals, subjective level of information, and information needs in very high‐risk patients with ASCVD. Methods: ASCVD patients (n = 210; 75 ± 9 years; 71.4% male; 89.5% coronary disease) with DM (96.7% type 2) completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge of HbA1c and LDL‐C treatment goals and subjective level of information and information needs on disease‐related topics of DM and ASCVD. Serum LDL‐C and HbA1c were measured. Results: HbA1c goal (<7.0% in 60.6%) was attained more frequently than LDL‐C goal (<70 mg/dl in 39.9%; p <.01). Significantly more participants named the correct goal for HbA1c compared to LDL‐C (52.9% vs. 2.4%; p <.01). Subjective levels of information were higher and information needs were lower for DM than for ASCVD (p <.01 for all topics). No associations of knowledge of treatment goals and level of information with the attainment of treatment goals for HbA1c and LDL‐C were found. However, in multivariate regression, higher levels of education were associated with knowledge of treatment goals (HbA1c: odds ratio [OR] 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.72, p =.04; LDL‐C: OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.07–5.03; p =.03). Conclusion: In very high‐risk patients with ASCVD, a deficit of knowledge of treatment goals to control dyslipidemia exists when compared to DM, patients felt significantly better informed for topics of DM than for ASCVD and display higher information needs for topics of ASCVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current evidence suggests that the information needs of people with diabetes mellitus differ across patient groups. With a view to being able to provide individualized information, this study aims to identify (i) the diabetes-related information needs of people with diabetes mellitus; (ii) different subgroups of people with specific information needs; and (iii) associated characteristics of the identified subgroups, such as sociodemographic characteristics, diabetes-related comorbidities, and well-being.Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data from 837 respondents with diabetes mellitus who participated in the population-based KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Augsburg Region) Health Survey 2016 in Southern Germany (KORA GEFU 4 study) (45.6% female, mean age 71.1 years, 92.8% Type 2 diabetes). Diabetes-related information needs were assessed with a questionnaire asking about patients' information needs concerning 11 diabetes-related topics, e.g. 'long-term complications' and 'treatment/therapy'. Subgroups of people with different information needs and associated characteristics were identified using latent class analysis.Results: We identified the following four classes of people with different information needs: 'high needs on all topics', 'low needs on all topics', 'moderate needs with a focus on complications and diabetes in everyday life', and 'advanced needs with a focus on social and legal aspects and diabetes research'. The classes differed significantly in age, years of education, type of diabetes, diabetes duration, diabetes-related comorbidities, smoking behaviour, diabetes education, current level of information, and time preference.Conclusions: Knowledge about different patient subgroups can be useful for tailored information campaigns or physician-patient interactions. Further research is needed to analyse health care needs in these groups, changes in information needs over the course of the disease, and prospective health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of respondents who access web surveys on a mobile device (smartphone or tablet) has been increasing rapidly over the last few years. Compared with desktop computers, mobile devices have smaller screens, different input options, and are used in a larger variety of locations and situations. The suspicion that the quality of data may suffer when online respondents use mobile devices has stimulated a growing body of research, which has mainly focused on paradata and web survey design. To investigate whether the respondents’ device affects the quality of web survey data, we examined the responses of 1,826 mobile-device and desktop participants in a political online survey that asked questions about the 2013 German federal election. To determine the reliability and validity of data submitted via mobile devices, we determined the consistency of the participants’ responses across questions and validated the responses against various internal and external criteria. Replicating previous findings, mobile-device respondents were younger and more likely to be female, and they produced higher dropout rates and longer completion times than desktop respondents. However, data produced by respondents using mobile devices were as consistent, reliable, and valid as data produced by respondents using desktop computers. These findings contradict the notion that mobile-device users compromise the reliability and validity of data collected online and suggest that researchers do not necessarily need to be afraid of the participation of mobile-device respondents in web surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]