The Post-Discharge Diabetic Foot Ulcer Self-Management Behaviors：Predictors and Evaluation of a Motivational Interviewing-Based Intervention

Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. The mean healing times for diabetic foot ulcer was about 63-100 days. In recent years, the length of hospital stay has gradually been reduced. Such decrease may cause insufficient post discharge diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors of patients with diabetes, thus resulting in their wound infection, osteomyelitis, as well as unplanned readmissions after hospital discharge. The purposes of this three-year study are as follows: (1) to explore the predictors of post discharge foot ulcer self-care behaviors of patients with diabetes. (2) to develop and evaluate a motivational interviewing intervention. During the first year, one hundred and forty-three patients hospitalized for diabetic foot ulcers will be interviewed about their post discharge diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors and related factors, including demographic, and psychosocial factors. During the second and third years, one intervention will be developed based on findings from first year, and literature review. Then, one hundred and sixty patients hospitalized for diabetic foot ulcers will be recruited. They will be randomly assigned to either the experimental or the comparison group. Using the two-group pretest / posttest design, the diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors will be evaluated at one week, three weeks, and three months after discharge. The diabetic-foot-ulcer status will be evaluated at one week, three weeks, three months, six months and twelve months after discharge. The multiple regression will be used to analysis the predictors of diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) will be used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors. The log-rank test will be used to compare the healing rate and infection rate between two groups. In this study, the characteristics of patients with insufficient diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors and modifiable factors that influence the diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors will be identified. Results of this study can be used by healthcare personnel to provide effective interventions for improving diabetic foot ulcer self-care behaviors of patients with diabetes.

Project ID:PC10608-1847
External Project ID:MOST106-2314-B182-005