The Australian diabetes association has produced a position statement about the use of language in diabetes. It's not just doctors many of us use negative language or llanguage that implies a moral judgement or failure (good/bad glucose levels/HbA1c is a prime example, .)
It's worth reading, I won't attempt to summarise. (
Here is what they say about using 'control'.
AVOID:
He or she is … poorly controlled,
cooperative, uncooperative’)
USE
Words that describe outcomes or behaviours (‘his or her blood glucose is high’)
Describing the person rather than the behaviour implies the behaviour will not and cannot change. It has a fatalistic connotation. People with diabetes need to think of HbA1c and blood glucose levels as changing indicators that respond to a variety of factors. When health professionals use such labels, it suggests that they may have given up. Furthermore, it is futile to try to ‘make’ people change their behaviour or self-care activities. Diabetes care requires a collaborative approach, not persuasion or coercion.
AVOID
Poor control, good control, well controlled (referring to HbA1c or blood glucose levels)
USE
Stable / optimal blood glucose levels, within the optimal range, or within the target range; suboptimal, high/low
Referring to ‘poor’ or ‘good’ control infers a moral judgment about the outcome, i.e. the person with diabetes has been good orbad. No-one needs
criticism when things are not going well. Taking the judgment out of the language acknowledges that a variety of factors affect optimal diabetes
management, many of which are beyond the person’s control. Furthermore, the individual’s efforts need to be acknowledged regardless of the outcome.
AVOID
Control (e.g. diabetes control, blood glucose control, controlling diabetes)
USE
Manage, influence
The idea of controlling blood glucose levels is great in theory, as few people would want to be ‘out of control’. However, assuming that true ‘control’ can be achieved dismisses the fact that blood glucose levels are influenced by many factors outside of the person’s direct control (e.g. hormones, illness, stress, prolonged / delayed effects of physical activity, other medications). Continually striving to ‘achieve control’ or ‘maintain control’ is ultimately a recipe for feelings of guilt, despair and frustration when it cannot be achieved. Instead, we need to acknowledge that blood glucose levels can be influenced by the person with diabetes but not expect that they can ever be truly ‘controlled’.
https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/PageFiles/1584/DA Language position statement.pdf
