The purpose of this project was to evaluate the utilization of a smartphone application for diabetes self-management education (DSME) into a family practice office. Cochrane review of technological options for DSME identified the smartphone as the most effective option. All patients with diabetes presenting in a family practice office for appointments with the clinical pharmacist or the physician were asked if they would participate in the project if they met the inclusion criteria including the diagnosis of diabetes, owning a smart-phone, and over 18 years old. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, end-stage kidney disease, or use of an insulin pump.
The goal was to enroll at least 10 patients and have them utilize the smartphone application Care4life for education and blood glucose tracking. HbA1c, heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and body mass index were collected at the initiation of the trial in addition to a demographic survey. A survey was obtained at the end of the trial. Ten patients were enrolled in the project; 50% women. One patient discontinued participation after enrollment. Six patients returned their surveys.
The feedback was primarily positive with individuals liking the text messaging reminders and ability to track their matrix (blood pressure, blood glucose, weight, medication adherence, exercise). Continued utilization of the smartphone application within the practice is likely for those patients who enjoy the technology as a reminder. Further opportunities for implementation would be in a hospital setting where patients face a delay post discharge for an appointment with a diabetes educator. Additionally, due to the complexity of the disease this application could be used to educate caregivers.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a well-established predictor for the development of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) later in life. The incidence of GDM has been on the rise over the past 30 years and is the leading co-morbidity during pregnancy (Ferrara, 2007). Physical activity (PA) in combination with nutritional therapy has been shown to achieve glycemic control in women with GDM and is therefore first line therapy for management (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology [ACOG], 2017; Center for Disease Control and Prevent [CDC], 2018).
Recommendations for PA in pregnancy include 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week (ACOG 2015; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2018). Because of this, an innovative project was created to determine the feasibility of adding a walking plan into GDM care. Participants in the project received verbal and written instruction on an unsupervised structured walking plan set up for a beginner to gradually increase PA to the recommended time of 150 minutes per week for a total of four weeks. Eight women were interested, recruited, and enrolled in the project.
Results show that overall, participant PA increased. One hundred percent agreed that the walking plan was useful and increased their awareness about PA. The addition of a walking plan in GDM teaching is an effective strategy to lower serum blood glucose (SBG) levels and for meeting PA recommendations during pregnancy.
Interprofessional collaboration (IP) is an approach used by healthcare organizations to improve the quality of care. Studies examining effects of IP with patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have shown improvement in A1C, blood pressure, lipids, self-efficacy and overall greater knowledge of disease process and management. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of IP with attention to identifying and addressing social needs of patients with T2DM. Participants at least 18 years of age with an A1C >6.5% were identified; Spanish speaking patients were included in this project. The intervention included administration of Health Leads questionnaire to assess social needs. Monthly in person or phone meetings were conducted during a 3-month period.
The patient had the option to meet with the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) student as well as other members of the team including the clinical pharmacist and social work intern. Baseline A1C levels were extracted from chart at 1st monthly meeting. Post A1C levels were drawn at the 3 month follow up with their primary care provider. Study outcomes include the difference in A1C goal attainment, mean A1C and patient satisfaction. Pre A1C levels in participants ranged from 7.1% to 9.8% with a mean of 8.3%. Post A1C levels ranged from 6.9% to 8.6% with a mean of 7.7%. Two cases were excluded as they did not respond to the intervention. A paired-samples t test was calculated to compare the mean pre A1C level to the post A1C level. The mean pre A1C level was 8.24 (sd .879), and the post A1C level was 7.69 (sd .631). A significant decrease from pre to post A1C levels was found (t (6) = 2.82, p<.05).
The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes is on the rise, as are the costs. This nation’s healthcare system must promote interprofessional collaboration and do a better job of addressing SDOH to more effectively engage patients in the management of their disease.
