Family-Based Diabetes Intervention for Hispanic Adults and Their Family Members

Rapid Critical Appraisal A Family-Based Diabetes Intervention for Hispanic Adults and Their Family Members
1. Are the results of the study valid?
a. Was there a representative and well defined sample of patients at a similar point in the course of the disease? Yes No Unknown
The study recruited participants who had type 2 diabetes and 1 family member from a community clinic that mostly serves uninsired patients. All the participants identified themselves as Hispanic aged over 18 years, had self reported that they suffered from type 2 diabetes and they had a family member willing to participate. Participants and family members had to be able to speak either English or Spanish. The study had thirty-six patients and thirty seven family members, which offered an 80 percent power for detecting any small change in exercise and diet (Hu, Wallace, McCoy, & Amirehsani, 2014). The patients who completed the study were 32 and 31 at the 1-month follow-up.
b. Was follow up sufficiently long and complete? Yes No Unknown
There was a 1 month follow-up for the participants with diabetes. This was ample time to establish if the strategies employed during the intervention were appropriate and if the participants were practicing what they had been taught during the intervention. The results of the intervention indicated that there was considerable improvement amongst the participants, and they were adhering to what they had been taught during the intervention. One month was enough for the study since type 2 diabetes patients would have significant changes if they did not follow the interventions being taught. Also, since there were family members involved, the follow-up period would allow the researchers to determine from the patient and the family member if there were any changes.
c. Were objective and unbiased outcome criteria used? Yes No Unknown
The study used unbiased outcome criteria by measuring the key indicators like BMI, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure. This indicators are what the researchers made use and they continuously measured the patients based on these indicators to gauge the effectiveness of the intervention. By using measurable outcomes the researchers have ensured that the study results are not biased in any way. The reliability of the study results has been established by carefully ensuring that participants are not able to lie when providing information for the study.
d. Did the analysis adjust for important prognostic risk factors
and confounding variables? Yes No Unknown
It has been indicated that Hispanics are at a higher risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes. Age and culture could be confounding variable to the patients not been able to manage their condition. The lack of knowledge mainly due to language barrier is another variable that the researchers have indicated could be limiting to the participants self-management of the condition. These variables have been controlled for during the study by ensuring that the study is delivered in Spanish, the participants understand that they are more prone to the condition based on their genetics, and the condition can be managed if they follow the intervention been taught (Inoue-Choi & Freedman, 2017).
2. What are the results?
a. What is the magnitude of the relationship between predictors (i.e., prognostic indicators) and targeted outcome?
This was not measured in the study.
b. How likely is the outcome event(s) in a specified period of time?
The outcomes for each participant were variable based on how well they manage to follow the intervention being offered. However, for most of the participants the intervention was positive and they manage to manage their condition well even during the follow-up period.
c. How precise are the study estimates?
The study outcomes are quite precise and they have been linked to another study that had consistently found that diabetes self-management, physical activity, healthy eating, and support from family are strongly associated with self-efficacy (Powers et al., 2015).
3. Will the results help me in caring for my patients?
a. Were the study patients similar to my own? Yes No Unknown
The study participants were Hispanic and they were also culturally biased when seeking health services with most of them only speaking Spanish. The study shows that using the patient\\\\'s native language is effective in the delivery of care and health information.
b. Will the results lead directly to selecting or avoiding therapy? Yes No Unknown
The results are prositive and they support the need to have bilingual calls instead of having interpreters. Speaking in the native language is more effective and allows the patient to communicate effectively without feeling that there is something theya re missing.
c. Are the results useful for reassuring or counseling patients? Yes No Unknown
There being improved outcomes is quite positive as this will reassure other health care providers that by using the patient\\\\'s native language it is possible to reduce the incidences of increased hospital care. Patients are also able to receive and understand health information and knowledge more easily.
References
Hu, J., Wallace, D. C., McCoy, T. P., & Amirehsani, K. A. (2014). A family-based diabetes intervention for Hispanic adults and their family members. The Diabetes Educator, 40(1), 48-59.
Inoue-Choi, M., & Freedman, N. D. (2017). When to Adjust for Potentially Confounding Variables—Reply. JAMA internal medicine, 177(6), 892-892.
Powers, M. A., Bardsley, J., Cypress, M., Duker, P., Funnell, M. M., Fischl, A. H., . . . Vivian, E. (2015). Diabetes self-management education and support in type 2 diabetes: a joint position statement of the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(8), 1323-1334.