Effect of nurse‐led care on quality of care and level of HbA1C in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized clinical trial

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious and costly complication in diabetes which affects different aspects of life and can reduce patient's quality of life. Various views to manage DFU have been introduced. The nurse-led team, as a multidisciplinary team, can be effective due to a holistic approach to some disease management; but in patients with DFU it has not been assessed. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the effect of nurse-led care on quality of care (QOC) and improvement of HbA1C in Patients with DFU. This was a randomized clinical trial study performed on 52 patients with DFU. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups: nurse-led care intervention and standard care. The study was conducted in one of the hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using two questionnaires: Demographic characteristics and Quality Patient Care Scale (QUALPACS) and taking a blood sample for HbA1C. The nurse-led Care interventions were conducted in three stages: Integrated, Interdisciplinary, and Comprehensive. Descriptive and analytic statistical methods were used to analyze the data. P < .05 was considered significant. The results demonstrated that according to repeated measures test, (before, 4 and 12 weeks after the intervention), the level of QOC dimensions (Psychosocial, communication and physical aspect) in the nurse-led group had a significant difference with control group (P < .0001). Also, according to the results of Independent t test, there was a significant difference in total QOC scoring and HbA1c between intervention and control groups after the intervention and follow up (P < .0001). Considering the burden of diabetes and DFUs, it seems that the establishment of a nurse-led care approach can be an effective strategy to manage and treat these patients, and eliminate the disruption of care and achieve optimal care quality.