PICOT Question

PICOT Question: How Adults that Are Diagnosed With Diabetes Mellitus that Were Given Health Education Vs Individuals Who Did Not Get Health Education Has Improved A1C Over 6 Month to 1 Year Time Frame

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PICOT Question: How Adults that Are Diagnosed With Diabetes Mellitus that Were Given Health Education Vs Individuals Who Did Not Get Health Education Has Improved A1C Over 6 Month to 1 Year Time Frame

Title of the article, problem, and purpose

In the article entitled “Effectiveness of Systematic Health Education Model for Type 2 Diabetes Patients," Zhang and Chu (2018) argue that health education is crucial to the general care of individuals suffering from type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The problem that is being addressed in the article is the severity of diabetes and the ability of people to manage it. Diabetes is considered as a chronic illness which health practitioners lack control over, especially when it comes to ensuring that patients adhere to the treatment plan. The purpose of the article is to determine if the condition of diabetes mellitus patients who are given health education improves over a six month to one-year period in comparison to the patients who did not get health education. Self-management education is considered essential in the management of T2DM.

Critique of the Significance of the Problem

The problem is clearly stated since the authors argue that health education is vital in the management of T2DM. Health education extends beyond the period when the patient was hospitalized, and it continues when an individual is outside the hospital. It is evident that diabetes patients who are provided with health education are able to adhere to the treatment plan compared to patients who are not provided with health education. The problem is also significant since health practitioners do not have the ability to determine if the patients adhere to their medication plan (Zhang & Chu, 2018). The problem is feasible since it is possible to research on the effectiveness of a treatment program to determine if the patients follow their treatment routine after they have left the hospital. Furthermore, it is possible for health practitioners to make follow-ups on their patients to determine if their conditions are improving and if they are adhering to the treatment plan. 

Potential Influence on Nursing Practice

Besides physicians, nurses comprise part of the T2DM health education group that foresees the enrollment of patients in need of T2DM education and allocation, follow-up, and analysis of the intervention (Zhang & Chu, 2018). The article has a potential influence on nursing practice as it identifies the steps that are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of T2DM health education as an evidence-based program (EBP). The main objective of patient education is to support self-care behaviors, problem solving, health status, quality of life, and overall patient outcomes. Zhang and Chu (2018) article introduces a systematic model of T2DM health education that has achieved a significant reduction in HbA1c of -0.67%, which is higher compared to other health education strategies. Earlier strategies have only achieved HbA1c reduction of -0.18% after 2-year period of follow-up and -0.26% after more than 4 months follow-up period (Zhang & Chu, 2018). The systematic health education presented in the article integrates individual education during patient hospitalization and extended care after hospitalization. The results of a reduction in HbA1c shown in the study has a potential influence on not only patient outcomes, but also on future nursing practice.

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How Article Builds On Previous Research

The study by Zhang and Chu (2018) builds on previous interventions such as pharmacological treatments that need to be complemented with systematic T2DM health education. The authors also note that resources that have been used in previous health education programs are inadequate and suggest the need to include diet control, face-to-face lectures, videos, booklets and pamphlets when providing health education to patients with T2DM. The literature review supports the need for this study because of the failures observed in previous health education interventions that did not support the systematic approach of follow-ups after patient hospitalization (Zhang & Chu, 2018). The article identifies that while face-to-face approach has remained common in carrying out health education, doctors find it challenging with the increase cases of T2DM because of the busy schedules they have in attending to other patients. In general, Zhang and Chu (2018) article builds upon other previous studies and provides a literature review that shows the significance of having further investigations regarding effective ways of T2DM health education that will improve patient outcomes and nursing practice. 

References

Zhang, Y., & Chu, L. (2018). Effectiveness of systematic health education model for type 2 diabetes patients. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2018(9349):1-9, doi: 10.1155/2018/6530607. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6083492/