American Association of Diabetes Educators 7 intervention in managing type 2 diabetes in older home health patients

Abstract

Management of chronic disease pathologies requires the patient to have the ability to understand and manage their care. This may be especially challenging in the aging population caring for themselves at home. The home care agency noted the patients had a knowledge deficit regarding T2DM self-management of blood glucose levels. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if the implementation of the American Association of Diabetes Educators 7(AADE7) diabetes self-management program improved glucose levels and diabetic management knowledge among adult diabetic home health patients aged 65 and older. The project took place in northwestern Illinois over four-weeks. The theoretical framework utilized for this project included Rosenstock’s health belief model (HBM) and the Dorothea Orem’s model of nursing. Diabetic self-management knowledge was measured using the 16 items Diabetic Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) in a total sample size of 10 home health patients. A paired t-test was used to analyze a change in blood glucose levels and knowledge. The results indicated a clinical and statistically significant improvement in both reducing blood glucose levels t(9) = 16.71, p = .000 and improved knowledge t(9) = 8.80, p = .000 pre to post-implementation. The results indicate that the implementation of the AADE7 diabetes self-management program may improve glucose levels and diabetic management knowledge among adult diabetic home health patients. Recommendations include sustainment of the practice improvement project and looking for other evidence-based interventions that can aid in lowering the risk of complications.