A simulation study of the economic and health impact of a diabetes prevention programme in Ireland

Impact of unscheduled nurse-led virtual care for people with diabetes on nursing practices and patient satisfaction

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic and its social restrictions accelerated the expansion of virtual clinical care, and this has been reported to be safe, low cost and flexible.

AIM

This study aimed to examine nursing practices and patient satisfaction with unscheduled nurse-led virtual care for people with diabetes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive survey of clinical nurse specialists and patients was carried out, using an activities log for nursing practices and a satisfaction and enablement survey for callers.

FINDINGS

Patients reported high satisfaction levels and greater self-confidence in keeping themselves healthy after receiving virtual care. Most calls (74.8%) from patients were for advice and education. Each call led to an average of 2.5 actions for the clinical nurse specialist.

CONCLUSION

The service is highly valued and is effective, but adds to the nurse workload burden.

Rekindling Hope for Remission: Current Impact of Diabetes for Our World's Future Health and Economy

The individual and societal burdens of living with a chronic disease are a global issue. Diabetes directly increases health care costs to manage the disease and the associated complications and indirectly increases the economic burden through long-term complications that hinder the productivity of humans worldwide. Thus, it is crucial to have accurate information on diabetes-related costs and the geographic and global economic impact when planning interventions and future strategies. Health care systems must work with government agencies to plan national-level pre diabetes and diabetes strategies and policies. Public health services must focus on diabetes screening prevention and remission.

Development and testing of a digital health acceptability model to explain the intention to use a digital diabetes prevention programme

OBJECTIVES

Digitally-delivered diabetes prevention programmes (DPPs) may improve population health by reversing the escalating trend of type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence. Understanding the factors which determine digital health acceptability is critical to developing effective interventions. This study aimed to develop and test a digital health acceptability model of the factors influencing the intention of adults living in Ireland to use a digital DPP.

DESIGN

A 61-item cross-sectional survey was issued online or in hard copy to a sample of adults.

METHODS

Participants viewed a brochure for a smartphone-based digital DPP. The FINDRISC assessed their risk of developing T2D, and Likert scale items assessed the personal health, social influence, eHealth literacy, and intervention factors of the model. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the relationships between these factors.

RESULT

Three-hundred-and-sixteen eligible participants (M_age  = 36) completed the survey, 42% of which had a slightly elevated T2D risk or higher. Twelve direct factor relationships were statistically significant. Subjective norm had a moderate-to-large impact on T2D risk perceptions. Health status, perceived susceptibility to T2D, eHealth readiness, communicative eHealth literacy and image had significant impacts on use intentions through mediators of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The model explained 65% of the variance in digital DPP use intentions.

CONCLUSION

Personal health beliefs, social influence, and eHealth literacy collectively influence a digital DPP's acceptability. These findings may inform the development of future digital DPPs and other digital health interventions. Future research should test the model with adults that have a higher T2D risk status.