Evaluating ESRD Education Outcomes
Evaluation Plan
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major health concern affecting about 50 million people in the United States. The disease is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Some studies indicate that education programs have numerous benefits in improving the conditions in ESRD patients aged 30 years and above. This essay presents an evaluation plan for an education program for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients aged 30 years and above. The essay establishes that education programs are fruitful and bear improvement in patient outcomes when implemented effectively. Lack of information contributes to increased mortality rates and difficulties in managing end-stage renal disease among patients of 30 years and above.
Evaluation Plan Goal
The plan aims to assess the improved health outcomes for the ESRD patients aging 30 years and above achieved through education programs. Ideally, the education program is designed to provide information to the patients regarding self-management practices, which include physical exercises, healthy eating, blood glucose monitoring, and adherence to drug medication (Baumgarten & Gehr, 2011). The program also provides patients with information regarding treatment options based on various factors such as gender, responsiveness, and culture. The program also informs the patients of the practices that may complicate the disease further so that they avoid them. In this regard, the evaluation plan will investigate the outcomes or impacts of such programs and identify any weaknesses for improvement. The education program evaluated included 15 participants patients (9 women and six men) aged between 31 to 72 years.
Purpose of the Evaluation Plan
The purpose of the evaluation plan is to provide information regarding the achievements and failures of the education program. The project will also assess the factors that affect the adoption of the self-management practices offered in the education program.
Resources Needed By Evaluation Plan for Education Program
The evaluation program has various goals to meet which rely on the availability of different resources. One of the resources necessary for the evaluation programs include the incorporation of the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). This is an education that provides the patients with relevant information about the best approaches to manage their condition. Diabetes is associated with numerous emotional challenges; DSMES provides behavioral strategies that patients should adopt to improve their outcomes alongside condoning to the new therapies. Studies have reported DSMES is a useful service since it is tailored to meet individual needs and life experiences based on evidence-based standards. Patients aged 30 years and above are benefited by this service because different ages may depict different needs, and hence the service enables the patients to receive tailored services. Ideally, while the service equips patients with skills to manage the disease, it has been associated with reducing medical expenses and complications and improving quality of life.
Another essential resource is the assessment tool. While education programs have their goals and objectives to be achieved, assessment tools are essential to evaluate their effectiveness and identify the weaknesses of such plans. Diagnosis of diabetes is the first step in an education program that utilizes various tools to measure the variables ranging from diagnosis, therapy, self-management, and observing progress. The tools include self-Appraisal Diabetes, Diabetes Self-Care Practices Measurement (DSCPM) questionnaire, and Self-Management Scale, which should be assessed of their impacts on patient outcomes. Such assessment allows the opportunity to identify loopholes and a basis for more research.
Program Activities
The evaluation plan will entail participation by patients and family members in an outpatient service conducted at a health facility. The dynamic health care delivery systems have prompted DSME to be incorporated into medical homes, office practices, and healthcare organizations (Powers et al., 2017). The current generation is equipped with comprehensive knowledge concerning health care systems. Hence, some activities will include availing DSME/S in alternative and convenient settings such as technology-based programs, pharmacies, and community health centers to patients to allow them to have broad access to such education (Gucciardi et al., 2016). As a result, the patients have extensive knowledge concerning diabetes and hence able to adopt various strategies in the efforts to improve outcomes. However, the evaluation plan considers the fact that the target age group comprises of both literate and illiterate individuals. While the literate patients can access information through the internet, the uneducated will rely on the information provided to them through verbal explanation or physical demonstration (Powers et al., 2017). In this regard, an educator, offers, and a patient are necessary for a clear explanation of goals. Therefore, evidence-based diabetes education is demonstrated through the active collaboration of the parties mentioned above. The health providers, educators, and the 15 participants conducted demonstration sessions for 3 hours a week for seven weeks (Mallappallil et al., 2014). During these sessions, educative materials such as manual presentations and videotapes were used. The learning materials were tailored to meet the needs of both literate and illiterate patients and ensure that information was adequately understood.
After a successful 7-week education program, the participants were allowed to exercise behavioral strategies on self-management for another five weeks. The participants acted independently in practicing the strategies learned during the seven weeks. This allows the educators to assess whether the participants understood the approaches in managing diabetes and identify the challenges faced as a result (Mallappallil et al., 2014). During this period, the health educators will also assess the implementation level of the strategies provided at the beginning of the program, which includes physical exercises, healthy eating, blood glucose monitoring, and adherence to medication. The session will also entail an assessment of the ability to cope with emotional changes and stress with varying environmental factors.
Measuring Variables
The measurement of different variables among the participants is of paramount importance. Such enables the health providers to assess the impacts of such variables in achieving the goals of the education program. Collection data at the baseline is essential to compare it with that collected at the end of the program. The comparison helps to assess the effectiveness of the program. Data collected for comparison includes proficiency in verbal and written communication, racial background, emotional status, and socio-economic dynamics. All these variables enhance the valid conclusion of a study program.
Targeted Outputs
The evaluation plan for education program had specific objectives which included the following:
- Assessing behavioral changes towards healthy eating habits.
- Adaptation to continuous physical exercises and adherence to medication
- Assessing the ability to manage stress and emotional changes associated with diabetes
- Assessing the understanding of the information provided through the education programs by various individual patients
- The general perception of self-management strategies by the target population.
Short-Term Patient Outcomes
Based on the above outcomes list, the short-term objectives include changing eating habits and adopting regular physical exercises and medication adherence. For instance, diabetic patients are required to avoid certain foods, especially those with high sugar concentration, and take in lots of fruits and drinking water (Plantinga, Tuot & Powe, 2010). The comparison of the data concerning eating habits at the beginning and end of the session should depict improved outcomes of the patients. Such practices constitute controlled blood glucose. According to the findings at the end of the 12 weeks, participants reported a significant improvement in healthy eating habits, which was part of the short-term outcomes for the evaluation plan. The findings also indicated a substantial adherence to medication whereby the participants paid attention in following the prescriptions for the drugs (Plantinga, Tuot & Powe, 2010). The participants indicated a notable eagerness to experience improvement changes in their conditions through medication. Further, the participants were keen to exercise regularly, as instructed by the educators. According to the findings, such exercises ensured that the patients remained active and hence improving outcomes.
Long-Term Patient Outcomes
The end of the evaluation plan aims to identify the impacts on the lives of the patients by the information equipped through the education program. In the course of the evaluation plan duration, the patients will depict behavioral changes that would be used for evaluation of the program’s effectiveness. However, the long-term outcomes will require continuous observation to compare results in different time durations.
Conclusion
The evaluation plan was effective in assessing the effectiveness of the education program among diabetes patients. According to the evaluation, the participants responded positively to the information gathered during education, which marked improved outcomes of the patients. The plan utilized scientific-research and evidence-based strategies to make outcome conclusions. The tools used to educate the patients proved effective by considering various factors concerning the target population, such as literacy levels, racial backgrounds, and individual preferences. Therefore, the education program is vital to the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients to help them adopt self-management strategies.
References
Baumgarten, M., & Gehr, T. (2011). Chronic kidney disease: detection and evaluation. American family physician, 84(10), 1138.
Gucciardi, E., Espin, S., Morganti, A., & Dorado, L. (2016). Exploring interprofessional collaboration during the integration of diabetes teams into primary care. BMC family practice, 17(1), 12.
Mallappallil, M., Friedman, E. A., Delano, B. G., McFarlane, S. I., & Salifu, M. O. (2014). Chronic kidney disease in the elderly: evaluation and management. Clinical practice (London, England), 11(5), 525.
Plantinga, L. C., Tuot, D. S., & Powe, N. R. (2010). Awareness of chronic kidney disease among patients and providers. Advances in chronic kidney disease, 17(3), 225-236.
Powers, M. A., Bardsley, J., Cypress, M., Duker, P., Funnell, M. M., Fischl, A. H., … & Vivian, (2017). Diabetes self-management education and support in type 2 diabetes: a joint position statement of the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Diabetes Educator, 43(1), 40-53.