Improving clinical outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers by the 3-month self- and family management support programs in Indonesia: A randomized controlled trial study

Diabetic foot ulcers are the leading cause of lower extremity amputations, which require more effective prevention. Even though previous nursing studies on diabetic foot ulcers have been well performed, programs implementing self- and family management are limited and even underexplored. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of 3-month self- and family management support programs on clinical outcomes among Indonesians with diabetic foot ulcers. The randomized controlled trial design was used to answer the research question of the study. A total of 56 eligible participants were enrolled, with 27 in the experimental group and 29 in the control group. The experimental group received self- and family management support programs for three months. Meanwhile, the control group received usual care. Descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance, and Generalized Estimating Equations were used to analyze the data. The significance level was considered at .05 for hypothesis testing. The study showed that there were statistically significant improvements in self-management, family supports, hemoglobin A1c, and wound size after implemented the programs for three months (p < .05). With regard to the result of the study, implementing the 3-month self- and family management support programs improves the patients’ and families’ abilities to perform diabetic foot ulcer care at home.