Assessing health-care needs of patients with diabetes in Iran's health-care system: A modified Delphi method study

The Effect of Culturally Appropriate Self-Care Intervention on Health Literacy, Health-Related Quality of Life and Glycemic Control in Iranian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial

Background

Cultural and language differences are necessary factors for diabetes management and self-care education programs in patients suffering from diabetes. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of culture-based self-care intervention on health literacy, quality of life, and glycemic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and Methods

This randomized clinical trial has been carried out in selected centers in Darreh Shahr, Iran; 80 participants were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received an educational program for 6 sessions twice a week, but the control group only received routine services. Data were collected using health literacy and life quality scales for diabetic patients, which were completed by both groups before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention; hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) was checked before and 3 months after the intervention. SPSS software was also analyzed data using χ2, Fisher's exact, independent t, and repeated measures analysis of variance tests.

Results

There were no significant differences between the 2 groups before the study (p >0.05) goes forward. But, mean scores of health literacy (F2,40 = 5.61, p =0.007), quality of life (F2, 40 = 4.09, p =0.01), and HbA1c levels (t, 39 = 6. 91, p <0.001) have shown significant differences between the 2 groups immediately and 3 months after the intervention have been applied.

Conclusions

Culturally appropriate intervention should be offered as a part of the nurse' care program for diabetic to control HbA1c, and improve their life quality and health literacy.

Care needs and preferences from the perspective of COVID-19 patients: A qualitative study

Background: The COVID-19 epidemic is one of the major health problems worldwide due to its inconceivable spreading power and potential damage. Given the increasing prevalence of the disease, the identification of care needs and preferences of patients could play an important role in providing effective training and caring programs. This study was conducted to explain the preferences and needs of care based on the experiences of patients with COVID-19.

Methods: This qualitative study with a content analysis approach was performed in 2 months at a referral general hospital and quarantine centers of COVID-19 in Tehran, the capital of Iran, in 2020. The participants consisted of 15 COVID-19 patients selected through purposive sampling. The data analysis was performed using the conventional content analysis method according to the procedure proposed by Graneheim and Lundman.

Results: The results were classified into 5 main categories: (1) access to desirable care and comfort services; (2) access to education and information from credible sources; (3) access to specialized care; (4) support social needs; and (5) need for deep emotional interactions.

Conclusion: According to our results, identifying priorities and care needs from the perspective of patients with COVID-19 can help improve knowledge, reduce unrealistic patient concerns, and improve emotional interactions between patients and health care providers.

Restrictors of the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education: A qualitative content analysis

BACKGROUND

A key step for improving the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education (DSME) is to identify its restrictors.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore the restrictors of the effectiveness of DSME.

METHODS

This descriptive qualitative study was conducted in March 2016-2017. Participants were 16 DSME providers (viz., physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and psychologists) and nine DSME receivers (viz., patients and their family members) - 25 in total. Semi-structured interviews were held for data collection. Interviews were transcribed word by word and analyzed through conventional content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman.

RESULTS

The restrictors of the effectiveness of DSME were categorized into three main categories and 11 subcategories, namely patients' limited welcoming of DSME classes (allocating limited time for participation in DSME classes, inadequate knowledge about diabetes mellitus [DM] importance, inappropriate educational environment, and financial problems), unfavorable adherence to treatments: serious challenge (inattention to educations, poor motivation for adherence to medical recommendations, and inattention to the psychological aspects of DM), and the difficulty of adult education (the difficulty of changing health-related attitudes and behaviors, mere information delivery during education, adults' physical and perceptual limitations, and diabetes educators' limited competence in adult education).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study provide an in-depth understanding about the restrictors of the effectiveness of DSME. DM management authorities and policymakers can use these findings to develop strategies for improving the effectiveness of DSME.