Developing An Education Package To Reduce Incidence Of Hypoglycemia In Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Patients

In completing this assessment task, you will need to provide answers to the following questions / content areas*:

1. What is a key area that you can focus on to improve practice in your clinical environment?
a. What is the key problem?
b. Why is it a problem and area of focus?

2. Summary of what is known about the current problem (quick review of the literature)

3. What do you wish to achieve by focusing on this problem?
a. What is your planned key outcome(s)?

4. How will you address this problem?
a. What will your project do?

5. What are the ethical considerations of your project?
a. Note: If this project requires ethical approval from your institution you will need to find a different project

6. How will your project be reported?

Choosing your project
What kind of project would I like to develop?
An education package for patients

Proposed project: " I am going to develop an education package for newly diagnosed diabetes patients to reduce incidence of hypoglycaemia by educating the signs & symptoms and management of hypoglycaemia."

In order to complete your first assignment you will need to:
Your first step is to introduce the context area for your project.
You will need to explain your topic and provide an introduction to your paper as a whole. In addition to a general introduction this section will need to identify
1. The problem
2. The type of project you will implement

Evidence of Reflection and Analysis (approx. 300 words)
Your second step is to explain why this is an important topic. This section should refer to the literature around your topic, analyse the key issues and demonstrate the value of your project and the planned outcomes.

Demonstration of a project plan focused on transforming practice. Project plan shows evidence of ethical consideration and ability to implement it
The final part of your assignment should be broken into three areas.
1. Describe your proposed project, including how you intend to implement and evaluate your project. ( Do education pamphlet) Describe how you intend to report on your project outcomes - it might be appropriate to submit your report in the form of a draft journal paper or an educational seminar that you present to a suitable audience.

2. Ethical Considerations. Although you will most likely need permission to undertake your project within your clinical setting, your project must not require ethical clearance from the relevant authorities (i.e. your institution or La Trobe University) in order to be completed. Nevertheless, even in very simple projects, there are ethical considerations of which we must be mindful. Describe any real or potential ethical issues that may arise during the planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting of your project. Discuss your strategies for managing these ethical issues and identify how you will minimise risk to others within this project. Example: Education pamphlet resources? Veracity? Is the information evidence based? How true or reliable it is?

3. Assignment Conclusion. Summarise your assignment as a whole.

Evidence on Reflection and Analysis

Hypoglycemia is a lifestyle condition that is closely associated with diabetes. According to Hanefeld, Frier and Pistrosch (2016), the condition exposes patients to dangerous vulnerabilities that result from decrements in the levels of blood sugar. On the other hand, Chow et al. (2018) explain that the global medical landscape has seen a six fold increase in the number of people dying of severe hypoglycemia due to the issues of ignorance and negligence. Allen et al. (2015) demystify that repeated episodes of this condition with lack of proper education from medical experts could impose great impairments in the affected patient’s counter regulatory system. Similarly, Caballero-Corchuelo (2016) highlights increase of the effects of acute cerebrovascular disease, probable loss of vision, the death of the retinal cell, myocardial infarctions, and loss of vision as the probable complications related to hypoglycemia. The aforementioned complications could distort the affected person’s life based on the detrimental effects they impose on their abilities to drive, undertake recreational activities, and proceed with their normal professional endeavors. Fadini et al. (2017) explain that early detection of the risk factors of hypoglycemia through institutionalization of effective educational programs fosters one’s ability to initiate self-monitoring procedures, select the most effective treatments and prevent the long term complications associated with the condition. Consequently, I intend to develop an education package for newly diagnosed diabetes patients to reduce incidence of hypoglycemia by educating the signs and symptoms and management of hypoglycemia.

The topic of hypoglycemia is of great significance based on the detrimental effects imposed by this condition on the physiological state and quality of life of the affected individual. According to Zhao et al. (2015), patients suffering from severe hypoglycemia reveal symptoms such as palpitations, an increase in the levels of sweating, seizures as well as cognitive dysfunctions.  On the other hand, Khunti et al. (2015) reveal that he condition could expose the patient to coma, or even death based on its state of severity and duration of attack. According to Gomez et al. (2015), glucose is one of the most important metabolic fuels of the human brain. The fact that hypoglycemia interrupts the supply of this essential bio fuel could lead to functional failures of the brain. Similarly, Fadini e al. (2017) explain that the condition gas profound negative effects on the functioning of the cardiovascular system as it stimulates  the activation of sympatho-adrenaline as well as the secretion of epinephrine; a substance that is associated with the enhancement of the peripheral systolic blood pressure.

Patients with hypoglycemia tend to depict massive diminishment in their wellbeing and quality of life. According to Fadini e al. (2017) recurring episodes of this condition are associated with an increase in the extents to which the affected person feels powerless and levels of anxiety. Similarly, the researchers explain that the family members of these people could suffer from depression. On the other hand, hypoglycemia has been identified as one of the most significant barriers to effective glycemic management of the patients suffering from diabetes (Zhao et al., 2015). According to Chow et al. (2018), the condition acts as a significant barrier to effective adherence to the medications prescribed as well as the ability of the patient to attain and maintain normal blood sugar levels with intensive therapy. However, Fadini et al. (2017) reveal that patient education on issues such as early identification of this condition and proper management techniques could impose great positive outcomes.

Description of the Proposed Project

The proposed educational project will implement a pamphlet for newly diagnosed diabetes patients to reduce incidence of hypoglycemia by educating the signs, symptoms and management of hypoglycemia. As opposed to other educational materials used in healthcare such as factsheets which limit the consumer’s ability to access a wider range of information in a particular field of study, pamphlets avail the targeted segments with a wealth of data to foster heir comprehension of the issue under investigation. According to Allen et al. (2015), the effectiveness of a study material is vetted by its ability to avail the desired instructional information at a level that is appropriate to the levels of comprehension of the targeted audience.  As a consequence, the proposed pamphlet will adopt evidence based data  and explanations that are user appropriate through adoption of simplified instructions to guide the targeted audience on how to identify the symptoms of hypoglycemia, possible causes of this condition, clinically proven measures of preventing the disease, as well as the treatment options availed by the immediate healthcare system.

To implement the project, I will adopt five medical institutions dealing with newly diagnosed diabetic patients as the centers of distributing the pamphlets. The recruited participants for the initiative will be educated on how to use the pamphlet during their clinic visits in the medical centers identified. The pamphlets will be distributed followed the education program. The participants will then be allowed to undertake a survey after 6 months to evaluate the efficacy of the educational material in fostering the control of hypoglycemia.

The educational plan targeting newly diagnosed diabetes patients to reduce incidence of hypoglycemia by educating the signs and symptoms and management of hypoglycemia will deal with patients and caregivers. Therefore, the issues of veracity will be prioritized. For instance, the researcher will ensure that the educational resource adopted is made understandable through inclusion of clear information. 

Conclusion

The proposed project intends to develop an education package for newly diagnosed diabetes patients to reduce incidence of hypoglycemia by educating the signs and symptoms and management of hypoglycemia. The topic of hypoglycemia is of great significance based on the detrimental effects imposed by this condition on the physiological state and quality of life of the affected individual. As opposed to other educational materials used in healthcare such as factsheets which limit the consumer’s ability to access a wider range of information in a particular field of study, pamphlets avail the targeted segments with a wealth of data to foster heir comprehension of the issue under investigation.

References

Allen, K. V., Pickering, M. J., Zammitt, N. N., Hartsuiker, R. J., Traxler, M. J., Frier, B. M., & Deary, I. J. (2015). Effects of acute hypoglycemia on working memory and language processing in adults with and without type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care, dc141657.

Caballero-Corchuelo, J. (2016). Neurological effects of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients. Revista de neurologia, 63(6), 262-268.

Chow, E., Iqbal, A., Walkinshaw, E., Phoenix, F., Macdonald, I. A., Storey, R. F., ... & Heller, S. R. (2018). Prolonged Prothrombotic Effects of Antecedent Hypoglycemia in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes care.

Fadini, G. P., Boscari, F., Cappellari, R., Galasso, S., Rigato, M., Bonora, B. M., ... & Avogaro, A. (2017). Effects of Hypoglycemia on Circulating Stem and Progenitor Cells in Diabetic Patients. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 103(3), 1048-1055.

Gomez, A. M., Gomez, C., Aschner, P., Veloza, A., Muñoz, O., Rubio, C., & Vallejo, S. (2015). Effects of performing morning versus afternoon exercise on glycemic control and hypoglycemia frequency in type 1 diabetes patients on sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy. Journal of diabetes science and technology, 9(3), 619-624.

Hanefeld, M., Frier, B. M., & Pistrosch, F. (2016). Hypoglycemia and cardiovascular risk: is there a major link?. Diabetes Care, 39(Supplement 2), S205-S209.

Khunti, K., Davies, M., Majeed, A., Thorsted, B. L., Wolden, M. L., & Paul, S. K. (2015). Hypoglycemia and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in insulin-treated people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a cohort study. Diabetes care, 38(2), 316-322.

Zhao, F., Deng, J., Yu, X., Li, D., Shi, H., & Zhao, Y. (2015). Protective effects of vascular endothelial growth factor in cultured brain endothelial cells against hypoglycemia. Metabolic brain disease, 30(4), 999-1007.