Diabetes, Visual Impairment
Conditions
Keywords
Diabetes, Visual Impairment, Blindness, Foot Care, Self-Management
Brief summary
The purpose of this study was to find out whether a method of nonvisual foot inspection, using the senses of touch and smell, helps people with diabetes and visual impairment to find new foot problems when they are in early, easily-treated stages. All people in the study had regular foot inspections by podiatrists. The results include how people feel about the method, whether they actually did check their feet it, and whether the method helped them to discover foot problems themselves.
Detailed description
Data gathered over the course of 1 year: * bimonthly phone calls to ask about foot care practices at home over the last week * a baseline comprehensive foot evaluation and 4 additional comprehensive evaluations every 3 months Qualitative data: \- Focus groups immediately after comprehensive diabetes self-management education, and 1 year later, to determine acceptability of foot care procedures and patient perceptions about effectiveness
Interventions
BEHAVIORALNonvisual foot inspection
Teaching use of nonvisual senses (tactile and olfactory) to empower people with diabetes and visual impairment to perform a systematic self-examination of their own feet
BEHAVIORALUsual Care
Standard instructions for foot care for people with visual impairment include advice to have a sighted family member or friend check the person's feet regularly
Sponsors
Kent State University
Case Western Reserve University
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Over age 18 * Diagnosed with diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) * Having visual impairment
Exclusion criteria
* Self-reported numbness in hands * Inability to pass a brief screening for decisional capacity
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Days per week participants performed foot inspection | every 2 months for 1 year | Number of days in the last week each participants reported checking their feet for problems, using nonvisual methods (experimental group) or with assistance form someone else (comparison group) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of foot problems discovered | every 3 months for 1 year | Number of foot problems discovered by podiatrists or at home by participants |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptability | 1 year | Qualitative information from focus groups |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed