Diabetes is a problem that affects people all over the world and must be managed with a strategy that is both all-encompassing and multidimensional to be successful. Leadership and managing change are crucial aspects that must be considered when attempting to resolve diabetes management. These aspects must be considered because they are necessary for the creation and implementation of treatments that both enhance patient outcomes and lower overall healthcare expenditures. This paper offers a strategy for the care of diabetes that is led by leadership, and it incorporates change management, nursing ethics, patient participation, adherence to nursing practice standards and rules, and the integration of technology and community resources.
Leadership and effective management of change are two crucial elements that must be present for an effective response to diabetes. Leaders can motivate their staff to embrace innovation and best practices by setting the tone for the culture of caring that pervades the organization (Sørensen et al., 2020). Change management is similarly crucial since it guarantees that any proposed interventions or enhancements are seamlessly integrated into the healthcare systems already in place. The planned diabetes self-management education and support program draws significantly on the design and implementation of leadership and change management techniques. The program’s initiative is effectively guided by visionary leadership. The goal was to teach patients and their loved ones how to take charge of their diabetes management in order to boost health outcomes and cut expenditures. The development team received the direction and inspiration they required from their leadership. Further, the existing status of diabetes treatment was evaluated, the need for change was determined, and a methodical strategy for rolling out the program was developed using change management principles. The approach examined the potential opposition to change and handled it through communication and training.
The program was created with a moral compass that was nursing ethics. First, it adheres to patient independence. Informed consent and patient autonomy are emphasized as essential to ethical nursing practice. The program’s goal is to have patients and their families take an active role in controlling diabetes. Their autonomy in healthcare decision-making is protected, and their priorities and beliefs are given due weight. Beneficence and non-maleficence are also crucial nursing ethics that must be followed when rolling out the program. Nursing ethics encourage healthcare practitioners to behave in patients’ best interests while avoiding damage (Varkey, 2021). The program aims to improve the health of people with diabetes by providing information, support, and care. Potential danger, such as complications, was addressed by emphasizing individualized care plans and education.
In this scenario, the patient is my diabetic father. One crucial aspect of his care will be his immediate family, which includes close relatives and caretakers. For diabetes management to be comprehensive and productive, their participation is essential. The input of the family and caregivers helps guarantee holistic care. Involving the patient and his family in the decision-making process ensures that the care plan incorporates his particular requirements, preferences, and circumstances (Bombard et al., 2018). This all-encompassing strategy helps make diabetes care efficient overall. It also ensures greater compliance. Patients are more likely to stick to a treatment plan if they feel they have a hand in creating it. The results of the diabetic patient’s care might be improved by including him and his family as much as possible in his treatment. Including the family caregivers also offers emotional support to them and the patient. Dealing with diabetes may be challenging and stressful. Having his loved ones involved in his care can help him cope with the disease’s emotional and psychological effects.
It is vital to use best-practice tactics to promote efficient communication and collaboration with the patient and his family. Shared decision-making is a practical approach to guaranteeing communication and collaboration and makes patients feel treated humanely (Abdulrhim et al., 2021). The patient and his family should be involved in treatment decisions. Care plans, treatment alternatives, and alterations to one’s way of life should all be discussed openly. Including them in the decision-making process makes patients and their loved ones more likely to follow doctors’ orders. Patient and family education is also critical. Thorough instructions on handling diabetes should be given to the patient and family. In addition, the patient and family should be encouraged to actively manage the condition by providing them with information, workshops, or referrals to a diabetes educator. Maintaining open lines of communication is also a strategy to adopt (Levengood et al., 2019). It is essential to talk to the patient and his family regularly. In-person conferences, phone conversations, and encrypted messaging apps fall within this category. Keeping everyone in the loop on the patient’s condition and any necessary changes to the treatment plan is essential.
The planned diabetes self-management education and support program should be developed following state board nursing practice standards and corporate or governmental rules. These standards and procedures guarantee that the intervention complies with known best practices, legal obligations, and ethical values. Standards for nursing care are set and enforced by individual states’ boards of nursing (Wisconsin Technical College System, n.d.). In order to ensure that patients get safe and effective care, these guidelines must be strictly adhered to by all healthcare providers. Registered and advanced practice nurses provide care and education within their legal bounds because the intervention is consistent with their scope of practice. The guideline will help avoid legal or ethical issues in diabetes management. In addition, guidelines for conducting in-depth patient evaluations may be found in the standards for nursing practice. The program incorporates these evaluation concepts to design care plans based on specific patient requirements, as assessed by certified nursing experts. The American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) clinical practice guidelines are well-known and have significantly impacted the development of the intervention. The ADA examines the research on exercise and diabetes and makes specific recommendations for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2019). The suggestions for diabetes treatment and education are based on evidence and included in these guidelines. Improved glycemic control is connected with nursing practice standards and policies, such as those found in the programs for patients with diabetes. Better control of blood sugar levels means less chance of diabetes-related problems.
The proposed Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program is meant to raise the quality of care by focusing on patient education, empowerment, and individualized care regimens. People with diabetes benefit greatly from DSME because it equips them to make and maintain the kind of healthy lifestyle adjustments that have been proven to positively impact their health (Ernawati et al., 2021). Further, patient safety must always come first when dealing with diabetes. By decreasing the likelihood of complications and adverse events, the program improves patient safety. Structured education focusing on hypoglycemia identification can minimize moderate and severe hypoglycemia without affecting metabolic control in people with type 1 diabetes (Iqbal & Heller, 2018). The DSMES program’s primary value is its ability to lower healthcare expenditures. Patients who take responsibility for their diabetes treatment are more likely to save money by avoiding unnecessary medical interventions. Coordinated approaches to care, like team-based care (TBC), have been created by several provider networks to achieve the “Triple Aim” of lowering healthcare costs without compromising the quality of treatment or the patient experience (Levengood et al., 2019). information on the monetary cost of diabetes may be used to calculate how much money the intervention could save.
Care quality, patient safety, and cost benchmark data from various sources can be used to track and assess the proposed intervention’s efficacy. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) are two examples of healthcare quality organizations that collect and publish data on quality measurements, patient safety indicators, and the cost-effectiveness of healthcare treatments. On the other hand, cost information, hospitalization rates, and clinical quality metrics for diabetes management are all available from government agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Substantial evidence suggests that the planned DSMES program has the potential to increase the quality of treatment, improve patient safety, and lower healthcare costs for both the healthcare system and people living with diabetes.
Policy decisions made by governments, non-profits, and hospitals are crucial in improving healthcare and reducing health inequalities. Governments, health institutions, and organizations have discovered that taking some medications and embracing lifestyle behavioral adjustments might prevent or delay the emergence of life-threatening diseases such as diabetes. Konchak et al. (2016) verify that the USA of America has approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which advocates for good health behavior to minimize the chances of acquiring diabetes and improve the quality of health for people with diabetes. The Affordable Care Act ensures that all individuals receive free preventative care. These treatments include diabetes testing and therapies like nutritional counseling and obesity screening. This guarantees that those at risk for or diagnosed with diabetes can receive the lifesaving preventative treatment they need. In addition, Protecting the confidentiality of patients’ health records is a primary goal of HIPAA. Integrating technology and electronic health information into diabetes management raises concerns about patient privacy and security. The Privacy Rule of HIPAA creates guidelines for securing patients’ health records and other personally identifiable information. HIPAA compliance is crucial for protecting patient privacy in the DSMES program due to the inclusion of remote monitoring and communication tools.
Technology plays a vital role in diabetes management, providing tools that enable individuals and healthcare providers to monitor, regulate, and adapt to the illness. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and blood glucose meters give patients a real-time readout of their glucose levels (Janapala et al., 2019). When used for self-management, these devices give helpful information that may be used to modify treatment and lifestyle appropriately. Patient-provider communication can also be facilitated remotely through telemedicine services and mobile health applications. Constant contact aids both the patient and the medical facility manage the patient’s condition. On the other hand, healthcare providers, patients, and their loved ones can all benefit from better communication and teamwork via care coordination. Care coordination, such as Health Information Exchange (HIE), plays a critical role in diabetes management by ensuring patients receive coordinated and comprehensive treatment. Secure access to patient information is made possible through electronic health records and health information exchange platforms (Keshta & Odeh, 2021). This supports continuity of treatment, lowering the risk of medical mistakes and ensuring that all team members are aware. Self-management, diet, and exercise advice can be covered in community diabetes education programs offered by local clinics, community centers, and healthcare groups. Diabetic support groups could also help those with the disease feel less alone by providing a safe space where they may talk to others who understand what they are going through.
In conclusion, leadership and change management are essential to resolving the diabetes problem. Nursing ethics and practice standards should guide them. Patients and their families are given the ability to actively manage their disease as a consequence of effective interventions such as the DSMES program. The program ultimately improves the quality of treatment, patient safety, and cost savings. The effectiveness of the intervention is further increased by using both technological and community-based resources. The all-encompassing strategy is necessary for addressing the complex and ever-increasing diabetes problem.
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