L’educazione terapeutica nel paziente diabetico in tema di prevenzione e controllo della malattia: primi risultati

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes is a multi-organ chronic disease with chronic and acute complications. A good metabolic balance in diabetic patient is crucial to prevent complications and can be obtained with adequate lifestyle changes. A key role in reaching this objective is the therapeutic education of diabetic patients made by nurse expert in diabetology. Materials and Methods: The survey had been conducted between April and September 2018. 260 questionnaires were spread among the patients addressed to two specialized out-patient clinic in the province of Naples, where nurses were always present with diabetologists. Results: The analysis showed three main results: 1) a high level of awareness of disease dangers, 2) a high compliance to the diet but not to the physical exercise, 3) a poor disease control in terms of regular blood sugar level measurement. Discussion: The results show the need to enhance therapeutic education to improve patients’ blood sugar levels monitoring while also preventing chronic and acute complications of the disease. We need to reconsider the organization of diabetes Unit and diabetes team in order to provide more effective treatment.