Effectiveness of a Digital Health Education on Self-Foot Care and Quality of Life Among Patients With Diabetes

Diabetes is a major global health issue affecting over half a billion people worldwide, leading to serious complications such as diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The increasing incidence of DFUs necessitates further research to manage and prevent these severe complications. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play a crucial role in addressing the rising incidence of diabetes and DFUs through capacity building and periodic education. However, many HCPs are inadequately prepared to deliver comprehensive diabetes self-management education (DSME), which is essential for preventing and treating DFUs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 422 million people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries, with diabetes directly causing about 1.5 million deaths annually. Over the past few decades, there has been a consistent rise in both the incidence and prevalence of diabetes. This condition significantly contributes to renal disease, heart attacks, strokes, blindness, and lower extremities amputation, often resulting from infected foot ulcers. About 15% to 25% of diabetic patients develop foot ulcers at some point. Foot problems like ulcers, infections, and amputations are among the most significant complications of diabetes, but these issues can often be avoided with consistent foot care.

The study aims to understand how health promotion models have informed foot care interventions for older adults with diabetes. A review of 2,078 articles identified 31 studies that met eligibility criteria, focusing on foot care interventions for older adults. Most of these studies involved people with diabetes and used health promotion models such as the Self-Efficacy Theory and the Health Belief Model. The interventions showed promising outcomes in improving foot care for older adults, highlighting the need for further research to determine the most effective models and implementation strategies.

Previous research has several limitations: exclusion of relevant studies on intervention implementation, lack of consensus on foot-related outcome measures, selection bias due to convenience sampling techniques, cross-sectional designs making causal inferences impossible, moderate risk of bias in some studies, restriction to studies conducted between 2004 and 2022, lack of randomized or controlled samples in some studies, and immediate assessment of attitudes and skills post-training influencing health promotion models.

This research addresses the lack of diabetes education and the limited adoption of behavioral changes among the population, which lead to challenges in diabetes care. Effective education for healthcare professionals, communities, and patients is essential to improve diabetes management and reduce the risk of complications such as DFUs. The objectives of the study are to understand the contexts where health promotion models have informed foot care interventions, identify the health promotion models used in these interventions, and document the effectiveness of theoretically informed health promotion interventions in improving foot care for older adults.

Health promotion models like the Self-Efficacy Theory and the Health Belief Model have shown promising outcomes in improving foot care behaviors and knowledge. The studies vary in intervention approaches, delivery methods, and outcome measurements, emphasizing the need for further research to determine the most effective models and implementation strategies. There is a strong correlation between high knowledge of foot care and good practice, with varying levels of knowledge and engagement in foot-care activities like washing, drying, applying moisturizer, and trimming nails.

The study will assess the impact of DSME on non-ulcer diabetic foot incidents through a structured research design and statistical analysis. A review of existing studies shows that appropriate foot care practices are essential for preventing complications like DFUs. Common self-care practices include washing feet with lukewarm water, drying thoroughly, using moisturizing cream, inspecting feet daily, nail care, and wearing suitable footwear. Outcome measures in these studies included foot health outcomes, knowledge of foot health, foot care behaviors, and self-efficacy. The need for standardized outcome measures and further research on the effectiveness and cost-benefit of foot care interventions for older adults is highlighted.

The study will use an experimental design with a nonequivalent control group. Consecutive sampling will divide 230 participants into intervention and control groups. The Diabetes Self-Care Activities Foot Care Questionnaire will be used as the research instrument. Statistical analyses will include the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test and Mann-Whitney Test to compare the mean incidence of non-ulcerated diabetic foot incidents before and after the intervention.

The research will adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring participant confidentiality, voluntary participation, and informed consent. Participants will be assured of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without any penalties.

Overall, this research aims to enhance diabetes education and promote behavioral changes to improve diabetes care and reduce the incidence of DFUs. Continuous training and education for HCPs are crucial for improving their competence in managing DFUs and achieving better patient outcomes.