The Long Term Effects of Managing Diabetes

Diabetes Management

Describe the background of the problem

Diabetes is considered to be one of most manageable and frequent problems impacting a large number of Americans. As someone becomes older, they are more likely to develop the condition from poor lifestyle choices, diet, the lack of exercise and genetics. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are a total of 29 million Americans who are impacted every single year. Out of this, number 17.7 million are between the ages of 40 to 60 years old. In many cases, learning to manage their diabetes and making healthy choices are critical for avoiding other complications. The most notable include: heart disease, stroke, blindness and the loss of limbs. This issue deserves attention as the inability to live with and manage the condition will result in premature death and the inability to function normally on a daily basis. ("National Diabetes Statistics Report," 2014)

Identify the stakeholders and change agents

There are a number of different stakeholders who will benefit from improved manageability and monitoring. The most notable include: patients, families and the general public. This will occur with them living more active lives and having increased mobility throughout the process. Over the course of time, these improvements will give them greater amounts of independence and control of their lives. When this happens, they will be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges they will face as their bodies become older.

In the case of organizations, an effective management program is the key to promoting healthy lifestyle choices and increasing their funding / effectiveness in solving the larger problems. Some of the most notable that will benefit from this proposal include: the CDC, the HHS, the American Diabetes Association and health care providers. These entities educate the public about the condition and create strategies to help patients / their families manage the disease.

PICOT question

The PICOT format is showing how the investigative process will occur and the way the problem is examined. This offers a better understanding of how to effectively educate the public about diabetes and the ability to manage the condition. To achieve these larger objectives there will be a focus on a number of questions that were refined from the previous forum post. The most notable include:

P- Adult diabetic patients (ages 40 to 60): To what extent does this age group have an impact on managing their conditions and ability to live healthy lifestyle choices?

I-Diabetic self-management training: To what extent is the target demographic managing their diabetes and the effects it is having on their health?

C-Traditional diabetic education: What is the impact of traditional education on this segment? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach?

O-Improvements in patient glycemic control: To what extent can current and alternative strategies help diabetics to live with and manage their condition?

T-Within a six-month period: How effective is the six-month timeframe? Should there be other periods that will be added to offer a better perspective of their ability to control the condition (i.e. one, two and three years).

These different questions will provide a better perspective about how to address key challenges, manageability and the capacity to adjust with them in the longer term.

State the purpose and project objectives in specific, realistic and measurable terms

The ability to effectively manage diabetes is dependent upon attitudes, beliefs, culture and the overall amounts of support the patient is receiving. (Campbell, 2012) These factors along with their levels of formal education will have a direct impact on the outcome of numerous management programs. For instance, a study that was conducted by Saydah (2013) determined that the education of the individual and other variables must be taken into consideration as a part of any program. This is because each person must learn about their condition, how it affects them, the significance of support and the best ways to adjust with these changes. Those who are able to do this are more capable of managing their diabetes over the long-term. These measurements are based upon studies that were conducted before and after various interventions / education programs. (Saydah, 2013)

Provide supportive rationale that the problem or issue is an important one for nursing to resolve using relevant professional literature sources.