Implementation of a Diabetes Education Initiative in a Privately-Owned Family Practice

Abstract

Of the 34 million Americans living with diabetes mellitus (DM), approximately 95% have type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which is characterized by insulin resistance and gradual loss of insulin production (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Inefficient use of insulin causes excess glucose to build up in the bloodstream placing individuals at high risk for target organ damage (CDC, 2019). In rural and underserved areas of the country, the prevalence of T2DM among Americans continues to grow at an alarming rate (CDC, 2019). This office-based quality improvement project utilized a pre-test post-test design to assess patient self-care knowledge of T2DM before and after a standardized education session. The purpose of the education was to reinforce patient understanding of DM, as well as promote healthy lifestyle modifications to effectively manage the disease in patients residing in a rural, underserved area. This project aimed to answer the following question: “In adults 18 years of age and over recently diagnosed with T2DM, does early implementation of standardized disease-specific education increase patient Revised Diabetes Knowledge Test (RDKT) scores and compliance with T2DM management over standard care?” Participants were recruited from a privately-owned family practice located in a rural, underserved area, and those patients with a recent or new diagnosis of T2DM were eligible to participate. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for quantitative data analysis. A one-sample t-test showed statistical significance in the difference in pre-test and post-test scores before and after the education, t (4.922), p < .05. Findings from this DNP project have potential to contribute to the lack of data and improve clinical practice in other rural, underserved areas.