Feasibility, acceptability and effects of a foot self-care educational intervention on minor foot problems in adult patients with diabetes at low risk for foot ulceration: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of the pilot study were to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the foot self-care educational intervention, and to explore its preliminary effects on reducing the occurrence of minor foot problems in adult patients with diabetes at low risk for foot ulceration.


METHODS
A one-group-repeated-measures design was used. The intervention given over 3 weeks consisted of a 1 hour 1-on-1 provider-patient interaction to discuss foot self-care strategies, 1 hour hands-on practice of strategies and 2 10-minute telephone contact booster sessions. Of the 70 eligible consenting participants, 56 completed the study. The outcomes were assessed at pretest and at 3-month follow-up. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used to examine changes in outcomes over time.


RESULTS
The findings provided initial evidence suggesting the foot self-care educational intervention is feasible and acceptable to adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It was effective in reducing the occurrence of minor foot skin and toenails problems (all p<0.05) at 3-month follow up.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings support the effects of the intervention. Future research should evaluate its efficacy using a randomized clinical trial design, and a large sample of patients with diabetes at low risk for foot ulcerations.
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: lifeng.fan@mail.utoronto.ca.
Lifeng
L
Fan
Souraya
S
Sidani
Angela
A
Cooper-Brathwaite
Kelly
K
Metcalfe
D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012306:Risk
autosoins des pieds; diabetes; diabète; educational intervention; faible risque; foot self-care; foot ulceration; intervention éducative; low-risk; ulcération du pied