Healthcare Practitioners’ Knowledge of Lymphedema

Objectives. Lymphedema is neglected in medical education, and a review on healthcare practitioners’ (HCPs) knowledge is necessary to shed light on gaps and to provide evidence for establishing educational programs on lymphedema. Methods. This systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA guideline in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. There was no limitation on the type of lymphedema or HCPs. The quality assessment was performed based on QATSDD. Data regarding study characteristics, questionnaire context, and findings of the study were summarized from each article. Results. After the screening, 16 articles were included that 12 were cross-sectional, two were qualitative, and two were interventional pilot studies. Breast cancer and other cancer-related lymphedema, lymphatic filariasis, and podoconiosis were included, and the majority of articles were focused on primary HCPs. The overall knowledge was low and average in five and 11 articles, respectively, and prior education was a significant factor related to higher knowledge of lymphedema in two studies. Conclusion. Structured education of lymphedema is needed to increase the knowledge of HCPs and to enhance their collaboration in multidisciplinary care teams. Improvement of HCPs’ knowledge may lead to better outcomes of lymphedema patients’ management which are neglected.

Educational counselling of patients with combined TB and diabetes mellitus: a randomised trial

SETTING: Newly diagnosed pulmonary TB with diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity attending clinics in Bandung City, Indonesia.OBJECTIVE: To describe the effect of educational counselling on patients’ knowledge about TB (transmission, treatment, risk factors) and DM (symptoms, treatment, complications, healthy lifestyle), adherence to medication, and to assess characteristics associated with knowledge.DESIGN: All patients received counselling and were then randomised to either structured education on TB-DM, combined with clinical monitoring and medication adjustment (intervention arm), or routine care (control arm). Knowledge and adherence were assessed using a questionnaire.RESULTS: Baseline and 6-month questionnaires were available for 108 of 150 patients randomised (60/76 in the intervention arm and 48/74 in the control arm). Patients knew less about DM than about TB. There was no significant difference in the proportion with knowledge improvement at 6 months, both for TB (difference of differences 14%; P = 0.20) or for DM (10%; P = 0.39) between arms. Intervention arm patients were more likely to adhere to taking DM medication, with fewer patients reporting ever missing oral DM drugs than those in the control arm (23% vs. 48%; P = 0.03). Higher education level was associated with good knowledge of both TB and DM.CONCLUSIONS: Structured education did not clearly improve patients’ knowledge. It was associated with better adherence to DM medication, but this could not be attributed to education alone. More efforts are needed to improve patients’ knowledge, especially regarding DM.

The Fluid Management Experience in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study

Background: Fluid management can reduce mortality, severe comorbidities, and debilitating symptoms in patients on hemodialysis. Therefore, a restricted fluid intake plan is crucial for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Little evidence has been found to date on exploring the experience in fluid management of CKD patients in Indonesia.Purpose: This study aimed to explore the fluid management experience of adults with chronic kidney disease participating in hemodialysis treatment in Indonesia.Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was conducted. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 14 adults patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis in a tertiary hospital in Padang between July and September 2020. Manual content analysis using the Colaizzi approach was used to identify themes.Results: Data analysis revealed four themes with 12 sub-themes. The four major themes include the challenge of thirst control, fluid/diet restriction management, inadequate information, and the support system.Conclusions: The result showed the severe suffering and sadness experienced by CKD patients who conform to fluid restrictions. It is important to provide clear information on the fluid prescription or the exact consumable amount per day. Structured education with a personal approach is recommended to ensure detailed information regarding "fluid prescribing". The support obtained from family, friends, and dialysis staff is a significant factor in promoting acceptance and adherence.

Oral Assessment and Preventive Actions within the Swedish Quality Register Senior Alert: Impact on Frail Older Adults’ Oral Health in a Longitudinal Perspective

Poor oral health is common among older people in nursing homes. To identify and prevent oral health problems among the residents, ROAG-J (Revised Oral Assessment Guide–Jönköping), a risk-assessment instrument, is used by nursing staff routinely, and the outcome is registered in the web-based Swedish quality register Senior Alert. This study aims to investigate the preventive actions registered when oral health problems are identified and the effect of these actions longitudinally. ROAG-J data registered at nursing homes in Sweden during 2011–2016 were obtained from the Senior Alert database. Out of 52,740 residents (≥65 years), 41% had oral health problems, of whom 62% had preventive actions registered. The most common action was “Assistance with cleaning teeth”. Longitudinally, during the five-year observation period, a slight increase in oral health problems assessed with ROAG-J was found. Registered preventive actions, however, led to significant improvement in the subsequent assessment for the ROAG items lips, tongue, and dentures. Standardised risk assessments like ROAG-J provide an opportunity to detect problems early and establish preventive actions. The study, however, indicates a further need for structured education and a continuous follow-up in ROAG-J. Moreover, increased collaboration between nursing and dental care to improve oral health for older residents at nursing homes is needed.

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Self-Efficacy-Focused Structured Education Program for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Mainland China Setting

Objective: To assess the long-term (50 years) cost-effectiveness of the self-efficacy-focused structured education program (SSEP) as opposed to routine education among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in mainland China from a healthcare service perspective.Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis method was used. The IQVIA CORE Diabetes Model (version 9.0) was adopted to estimate the outcomes. The baseline cohort characteristics, variations of physiological parameters, costs of intervention and other treatments, and management-related diabetes were derived from a randomized controlled trial. Moreover, the complications costs and utilities were extracted from published sources. Furthermore, the univariate sensitivity analysis and the probabilistic sensitivity analysis were conducted.Results: As compared with the control group, the life expectancy and quality-adjusted life-year in the intervention group were increased. Besides, the intervention group achieved lower cumulative incidences of complications and saved more direct medical costs compared with the control group. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the SSEP had 100% probability to be cost-effective.Conclusion: The SSEP is recognized as a highly cost-effective option for managing patients with T2DM, which are projected to both improve clinical outcomes and reduce costs.

Previous structured education attendance and the relationship with HbA1c and hypoglycaemia awareness in people living with type 1 diabetes mellitus using FreeStyle Libre: insights from the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) Nationwide Audit

Background: Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) is the gold standard National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended structured education programme that promotes self-management in people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We have recently shown that FreeStyle Libre (FSL) is associated with improved haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and hypoglycaemia awareness. Aims: To explore the effect of structured education including DAFNE on HbA1c and GOLD score when combined with FSL use. Methods: The ABCD national audit data on FSL users were used to conduct this prospective longitudinal study. The Stu- dent’s t test was used to compare the baseline and follow-up HbA1c and a change in the GOLD score for hypoglycaemia awareness. The baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population were compared using ANOVA. Linear regression analysis identified predictors of change in HbA1c with FSL use. Results: The study consisted of 14,880 people living with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), 97% of whom had T1D, of which 50% were female, with a mean±SD base- line HbA1c of 70±18 mmol/mol and baseline body mass index (BMI) of 25.3±6.2 kg/m2. Follow-up data for HbA1c were avail- able for 6,446 participants while data for GOLD score were available for 5,057 participants. The study population was divided into three groups: 6,701 people with no prior structured education (Group 1), 3,964 with other structured education (Group 2), and 4,215 had previously attended DAFNE structured education (Group 3). Groups 2 and 3 who had previously attended structured education had a lower initial HbA1c than those in Group 1 (p<0.0001). However, there was a significant but similar magnitude of the fall in HbA1c across all groups (−8.10 mmol/mol vs −6.61 mmol/mol vs −6.22 mmol/mol in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively), with p (ANOVA)=0.83. Similarly, the decline in GOLD score was comparable in Groups 1, 2 and 3 (−0.33 vs −0.30 vs −0.34, respectively), with p (ANOVA)=0.43. Linear regression analysis identified higher baseline HbA1c (β=0.585, p<0.0001), number of FSL scans over 14 days (β=−0.026, p=0.00135) and other structured education (β=−1.207, p=0.02483) as predictors of HbA1c reduction. Prior DAFNE training was not associated with improved HbA1c reduction in the linear regression model. Conclusions: FSL use was associated with improvements in HbA1c and GOLD score. Although DAFNE is an evidence- based intervention to improve outcomes in those with T1D, DAFNE attendance prior to commencing FSL did not influence HbA1c or GOLD score outcomes when compared with FSL use alone. Other structured education was identified as a predictor of HbA1c reduction when combined with FSL use.