Effect of an intensive education programme on clinical management of diabetic inpatients

✍ Scribed by Davis, TME ;Hughes-Anderson, W.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 624 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1357-8170
• DOI: 10.1002/pdi.1960130406

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

To determine whether intensive education directed at clinical staff improves inpatient diabetes management, an initial cross‐sectional survey of all diabetic patients admitted to a metropolitan teaching hospital over three months was conducted, followed by a six‐month education programme based on deficiencies identified, and then a second survey to assess the effect of the intervention. Two groups of 226 diabetic inpatients were recruited before and after the programme. The age and sex distribution, type and duration of diabetes, body mass index and numbers of smokers in the groups were similar. The proportions who received general diabetes education and advice regarding exercise during admission were also similar, but the risks of smoking were explained more often post‐intervention (78% vs 90% respectively; p < 0.01). Plasma glucose, glycated haemoglobin and fasting serum lipids were requested in 88%, 41% and 23% respectively of patients overall with no significant differences between groups; treatment was changed in the minority of patients with abnormal results. Electrocardiography, palpation of peripheral pulses, ophthalmoscopy, sensory testing and measurement of urinary microalbumin estimation all increased significantly after intervention (p < 0.01). In the case of the microvascular complications, screening tests were performed in approximately twice as many patients after compared to before intervention. A programme of assessment of current practices and education/re‐education of hospital staff improves screening of vascular complications in diabetic inpatients but may have little effect on strategies to improve metabolic control.