Evidence-Based Practice Diabetes, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Diabetes-related education has become increasingly relevant in the scope of nursing practice to enable patients to manage and/or prevent the disease effectively. Therefore, diabetes self-care is a critical factor in this process, along with other factors that influence outcomes for these patients. It is imperative that patients must receive educational tools and resources based on prior evidence that are likely to have a significant impact on their health and their ability to manage diabetes effectively to minimize long-term complications and other challenges. This reflects the importance of developing or utilizing existing interventions that will impact their lives in a positive manner. In addition, it is important to develop an understanding of how nurses might play a role in this process to influence patient health and wellbeing. Therefore, it is expected that an evidence-based intervention will have a significant impact on how patients administer self-care and how they address any symptoms related to their disease that may emerge over time.

Body

Managing and/or preventing diabetes are challenging circumstances which require an effective understanding of the different elements which impact the practice environment in different ways. Metabolic control is often inefficient and may contribute to poor outcomes and symptom formation in patients; therefore, it is important to address these concerns as part of a larger framework for achieving optimal care for patients (Nam, Chesla, Stotts, Kroon, & Janson, 2011). This reflects the importance of developing strategies for improvement that will impact the practice setting and facilitate successful patient self-care at a high level (Nam et.al, 2011). It is known that diabetes self-management is significantly impacted by the limitations set forth by lack of knowledge or education regarding the disease and its influence on organs and systems (Nam et.al, 2011). As a result, evidence-based practice solutions must be identified that will enable patients to administer improved self-care to minimize symptoms and long-term complications of the disease (Nam et.al, 2011).

Diabetes self-management requires an effective understanding of the tools that are available to support patients and to empower them to work towards improving their own self-care (Haas et.al, 2013). An ongoing educational platform is required in this case, along with specialized plan of care that will influence patient outcomes through diabetes self-management support (DSMS) (Haas et.al, 2013). A key factor in this process is ongoing communication between the educator and patient in an effort to produce the desired outcomes without diminishing the patient’s quality of life (Haas et.al, 2013). This is an important tool in offering a structured yet flexible approach to treat diabetes effectively and to be mindful of the challenges of the disease in addressing patient care needs, as an individualized approach may be optimal for patients (Haas et.al, 2013).

Prior interventions to establish improvements in self-care have been instrumental in shaping the quality of life of many patients; however, these vary and are based upon a number of factors, such as age and lifestyle behaviors (Tricco et.al, 2012). Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate these differences in the context of established self-management strategies and how they impact patients with diabetes, such as the use of home glucose meters, foot care, and medication administration techniques, including insulin (Tricco et.al, 2012). These tools must reflect the importance of enabling each patient to experience a high degree of support and guidance in order to effectively manage his or her own self-care in a manner that will overcome or minimize any challenges that may occur with respect to glucose control and other concerns that often impact this patient population (Tricco et.al, 2012).

Finally, an intervention to improve diabetes self-care must emphasize prior successes in this area, using education as a valuable resource in order to effectively support areas such as blood glucose monitoring, communication enhancements, medication adherence, nutritional improvements, and increased physical activity, among other variables (Sinclair et.al, 2013). This reflects the importance of addressing areas of weakness or limited knowledge of the patient population and how bridging these gaps may play a significant role in advancing overall educational platforms for patients with diabetes across all age groups (Sinclair et.al, 2013). By educating the target population with a comprehensive approach that is also user-friendly and focuses on the needs of the patient above all else, it is likely that the response to this type of intervention will be favorable and will be recognized as an important tool in advancing the objectives of diabetes self-care to minimize symptoms and complications, while also improving quality of life (Sinclair et.al, 2013).

Conclusion

Diabetes self-care requires specialized attention and focus in order to be effective in meeting the needs of the target population and in improving the quality of life of patients in need. This reflects a need to critically evaluate educational programs that promote self-care and to be mindful of the needs of patients on a continuous basis through education, outreach, and by addressing concerns as they arise. It is important for patients to receive adequate self-care and treatment, while also demonstrating the value of shaping the surrounding environment in a manner that will improve patient outcomes and also influence quality of care for patients. Diabetes self-care must emphasize halting the progressive nature of the disease and emphasizing the individual needs of each patient as part of a larger framework to improve the potential for successful outcomes for these patients over time.

References

Haas, L., Maryniuk, M., Beck, J., Cox, C. E., Duker, P., Edwards, L., … & McLaughlin, S. (2013). National standards for diabetes self-management education and support. Diabetes care, 36(Supplement 1), S100-S108.

Nam, S., Chesla, C., Stotts, N. A., Kroon, L., & Janson, S. L. (2011). Barriers to diabetes management: patient and provider factors. Diabetes research and clinical practice, 93(1), 1-9.

Sinclair, K. A., Makahi, E. K., Shea-Solatorio, C., Yoshimura, S. R., Townsend, C. K., & Kaholokula, J. K. (2013). Outcomes from a diabetes self-management intervention for Native Hawaiians and Pacific People: Partners in Care. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 45(1), 24-32.

Tricco, A. C., Ivers, N. M., Grimshaw, J. M., Moher, D., Turner, L., Galipeau, J., … & Tonelli, (2012). Effectiveness of quality improvement strategies on the management of diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet,379(9833), 2252-2261.