Patient education for preventing diabetic foot ulceration

Background Ulceration of the feet, which can result in loss of limbs and even death, is one of the major health problems for people with diabetes mellitus. Objectives To assess the effects of patient education on the prevention of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes mellitus. Search strategy Eligible studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (22 December 2009), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library 2009 Issue 4), Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to November Week 3 2009), Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (Searched 22/12/09), Ovid EMBASE (1980 to 2009 Week 51) and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to December 22 2009). Selection criteria Prospective randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated educational programmes for preventing foot ulcers in people with diabetes mellitus. There was no restriction on language of the publications. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently undertook data extraction and assessment of risk of bias. Primary end-points were foot ulceration or ulcer recurrence and amputation. Main results Eleven RCTs were included. Three studies described the effect of foot care education as part of general diabetes education compared with usual care. Two studies examined the effect of foot care education tailored to educational needs compared with no intervention. Finally, six studies described the effect of intensive compared with brief educational interventions. Pooling of outcome data was precluded by marked, mainly clinical, heterogeneity. Four RCTs assessed the effect of patient education on primary end-points: foot ulceration and amputations. One of these studies reported a statistically significant benefit of one hour group education after one year of follow-up in people with diabetes who were at high risk for foot ulceration; RR amputation 0.33 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.76); RR ulceration 0.31 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.66), however this study was at high risk of bias and may have overestimated the effect due to a unit of analysis error. One similar, but methodologically superior study did not confirm this finding; RR amputation 0.98 (95% CI 0.41 to 2.34); RR ulceration 1.00 (95% CI 0.70 to 1.44). The other two studies did not detect any effect of education on ulcer incidence or amputation but were underpowered. Patients' foot care knowledge was improved in the short term in five of eight RCTs in which this outcome was assessed, as was patients' self reported self care behaviour in the short term in seven of nine RCTs. The effects on callus, nail problems and fungal infections were described in five of the included studies, of which only two reported temporary improvements after an educational intervention. Only one of the included RCTs was considered to be at low risk of bias. Authors' conclusions Most of the RCTs included in this review are at high or unclear risk of bias. In some trials, foot care knowledge and self reported patient behaviour seem to be positively influenced by education in the short term. This, however, must be viewed with caution. The ultimate goal of educational interventions is preventing foot ulceration and amputation but only four RCTs reported these outcomes and only two reported sufficient data to examine this. Based on these two studies, we conclude that there is insufficient robust evidence that limited patient education alone is effective in achieving clinically relevant reductions in ulcer and amputation incidence. Future research should focus on evaluating the effect of more comprehensive and/or intensive prevention strategies which may also include patient education (complex interventions).Public Health and primary careDisease managementPrevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

Effects of social support and personal coping resources on depressive symptoms: Different for various chronic diseases?

Effects of psychosocial coping resources on depressive symptoms were examined and compared in older persons with no chronic disease or with recently symptomatic diabetes mellitus, lung disease, cardiac disease, arthritis, or cancer. The 719 persons without diseases reported less depressive symptoms than the chronically ill. Direct favorable effects on depressive symptoms were found for having a partner, having many close relationships, greater feelings of mastery, greater self-efficacy expectations, and high self-esteem. Buffer effects were observed for feelings of mastery, having many diffuse relationships, and receiving emotional support. Buffer effects were differential across diseases for emotional support (in cardiac disease and arthritis only) and for diffuse relationships (in lung disease). Receiving instrumental support was associated with more depressive symptoms, especially in diabetes patients

Comorbidity of somatic chronic diseases and decline in physical functioning: the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

Objective: To assess the association of decline in physical functioning with number of chronic diseases and with specific comorbidity in different index diseases. Methods: A longitudinal design was employed using data from 2,497 older adults participating in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine influence of chronic diseases on change in physical functioning, operationalized using the Edwards-Nunnally index. Results: Decline in physical functioning was associated with number of chronic diseases (adjusted ORs from 1.58 for 1, to 4.05 for ≥3 diseases). Comorbidity of chronic nonspecific lung disease and malignancies had the strongest exacerbating influence on decline. An exacerbating effect was also found for arthritis in subjects with diabetes or malignancies and for stroke in subjects with chronic nonspecific lung disease or malignancies. A weaker effect than expected was observed for diabetes in subjects with stroke, malignancies, cardiac disease, or peripheral atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Comorbidities involving chronic diseases that share etiologic factors or pathophysiologic mechanisms appear to have a weaker negative influence on decline in physical functioning than expected. Results indicate that combinations of diseases that both influence physical functioning, but through different mechanisms (locomotor symptoms vs. decreased endurance capacity) may be more detrimental than other combinations. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Cognitive functioning and health as determinants of mortality in an older population

The authors studied whether the ability of cognitive functioning to predict mortality is pervasive or specific, and they considered the role of health in the cognition-mortality association. Data were taken from a sample of 2,380 persons aged 55-85 years who took part in the Netherlands' Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam in 1992-1993. Five cognitive measures were distinguished: general cognitive functioning, information processing speed, fluid intelligence, learning, and proportion retained. Mortality data were obtained during an average follow-up period of 1,215 days. Cox proportional hazards regression models revealed that all cognitive functions predicted mortality independent of age, sex, education, and depressive symptoms. When health (self-rated health, medication use, physical performance, functional limitations, lung function, specific chronic diseases) was also taken into account, information processing speed, fluid intelligence, and proportion retained remained independent predictors of mortality, whereas the ability of general cognitive functioning and learning to determine mortality was lost. The authors concluded that the ability of cognitive functioning to predict mortality is pervasive to all cognitive functions that were included in the study when age, sex, education, and depressive symptoms are considered and is more specific to some functions when also controlling for healt

Patient education for preventing diabetic foot ulceration

Background Ulceration of the feet, which can result in loss of limbs and even death, is one of the major health problems for people with diabetes mellitus. Objectives To assess the effects of patient education on the prevention of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes mellitus. Search strategy Eligible studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (22 December 2009), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library 2009 Issue 4), Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to November Week 3 2009), Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (Searched 22/12/09), Ovid EMBASE (1980 to 2009 Week 51) and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to December 22 2009). Selection criteria Prospective randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated educational programmes for preventing foot ulcers in people with diabetes mellitus. There was no restriction on language of the publications. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently undertook data extraction and assessment of risk of bias. Primary end-points were foot ulceration or ulcer recurrence and amputation. Main results Eleven RCTs were included. Three studies described the effect of foot care education as part of general diabetes education compared with usual care. Two studies examined the effect of foot care education tailored to educational needs compared with no intervention. Finally, six studies described the effect of intensive compared with brief educational interventions. Pooling of outcome data was precluded by marked, mainly clinical, heterogeneity. Four RCTs assessed the effect of patient education on primary end-points: foot ulceration and amputations. One of these studies reported a statistically significant benefit of one hour group education after one year of follow-up in people with diabetes who were at high risk for foot ulceration; RR amputation 0.33 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.76); RR ulceration 0.31 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.66), however this study was at high risk of bias and may have overestimated the effect due to a unit of analysis error. One similar, but methodologically superior study did not confirm this finding; RR amputation 0.98 (95% CI 0.41 to 2.34); RR ulceration 1.00 (95% CI 0.70 to 1.44). The other two studies did not detect any effect of education on ulcer incidence or amputation but were underpowered. Patients' foot care knowledge was improved in the short term in five of eight RCTs in which this outcome was assessed, as was patients' self reported self care behaviour in the short term in seven of nine RCTs. The effects on callus, nail problems and fungal infections were described in five of the included studies, of which only two reported temporary improvements after an educational intervention. Only one of the included RCTs was considered to be at low risk of bias. Authors' conclusions Most of the RCTs included in this review are at high or unclear risk of bias. In some trials, foot care knowledge and self reported patient behaviour seem to be positively influenced by education in the short term. This, however, must be viewed with caution. The ultimate goal of educational interventions is preventing foot ulceration and amputation but only four RCTs reported these outcomes and only two reported sufficient data to examine this. Based on these two studies, we conclude that there is insufficient robust evidence that limited patient education alone is effective in achieving clinically relevant reductions in ulcer and amputation incidence. Future research should focus on evaluating the effect of more comprehensive and/or intensive prevention strategies which may also include patient education (complex interventions)