title: Effect of telephone follow-up on adherence to a diabetes therapeutic regimen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a nurse telephone follow-up service could improve the level of adherence to a diabetes therapeutic regimen for patients with type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 61 patients attended a 3 day diabetes self-care program at the Iranian Diabetes Society. They were randomly assigned to one of the experimental or control groups. A telephone follow-up program was applied to the experimental group for 3 months, twice per week for the first month and weekly for the second and third months. The data-collection instruments included a data sheet to record the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and a questionnaire. The data were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences between the control and the experimental groups in their adherence to a diabetic diet, exercise, foot care, blood glucose monitoring, and medication-taking. Also, the HbA1c levels differed significantly between the two groups after 3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A nurse-led telephone follow-up was effective in enhancing the level of adherence to a diabetes therapeutic regimen, such that the HbA1c level decreased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Amiralam Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nesari
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zakerimoghadam
authors.forename: Asadollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajab
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bassampour
authors.forename: Soghrat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faghihzadeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013689:Telephone
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents