Ortega, María de los Ángeles

Aims: The aim of this quality improvement project is to improve the quality of care for those with uncontrolled type II diabetes at the primary care facility (Palm Beach Family Medical Associates). The current standard of care of following up every 3 months is deficient in controlling HgbA1c. Literature and caring science supports an intervention with education and self-efficacy as the focus. Method: Apply evidence-based intervention of a diabetes education program with focus on self-efficacy and following up every two weeks on nutrition, exercise, weight management, and medical management. Participants are 45 years or older with uncontrolled Type II Diabetes with HgbA1c > 7.0. HgbA1c and Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale is measured pre and post intervention and follow ups are completed over telephone calls.
Results: There was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in both HgbA1c and DMSES values after intervention was completed.
Conclusion: Administering a diabetes education program with emphasis on self-efficacy and repetition through biweekly follow-up shows potential for improving HgbA1c and DMSES scores for those with uncontrolled diabetes (HgbA1c > 7.0). Many limitations are noted including loss of 40% of participants over time and application of program for only 3 months. Despite limitations, this quality improvement intervention shows promise in improving care for those with Type II diabetes.

The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), quality improvement (QI) project was to increase heart disease risk awareness while implementing healthy lifestyle behaviors in Hispanic women between the ages of 30-65. The literature presents that all women are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD); with ethnic minorities being disproportionally affected. Following recruitment, participants attended a weekly wellness program guided by the Pasos Adelante curriculum over a 12 week period. Lifestyle behaviors were assessed by using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) questionnaire, CV knowledge was assessed with a brief true or false questionnaire, and the Godin-Shephard Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (GSLTEQ) was used to measure physical activity. The results of this DNP project showed an increase in CVD risk knowledge and an increase in physical activity.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to assess the effectiveness of a Psychoeducation Program (PP) in decreasing symptoms of depression and improving participation in psychotherapy amongst Blacks/African Americans at a Federally Qualified Health Care Center (FQHC) in Miami Dade County, Florida. Created by the project leader, the PP was built upon resources provided by trusted organizations such as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH, 2020) and Beyond Blue of Australia (Beyond blue 2021). Method: The participants were comprised of 7 men and 5 women Blacks/African Americans living with depression, on antidepressants and not interested in participating in psychotherapy. Over a threemonth period, they received four educational sessions on the importance of combining antidepressants and psychotherapy. Data were collected from pre- and post-intervention. Results: An analysis of the quantitative data collected demonstrated that the educational intervention did contribute to a decrease of their depression score as well as their Psychoeducation Readiness Index (PRI) score. Conclusion: Psychoeducation has the potential to alleviate Blacks/African Americans symptoms of depression and to increase their PRI scores while offering concrete information to tailor evidence-based interventions to bridge the gap between their reticence and the benefit from the virtue of psychotherapy.