The effectiveness of the educational intervention towards improving the knowledge, attitude, and practice on wound care and the healing rate of diabetic foot ulcer

• Main Author: Melvin Ebin Bondi
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: RC799-869 Diseases of the digestive system. Gastroenterology
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42539/1/24%20PAGES.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42539/2/FULLTEXT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42539/

Healthcare professionals (HCP) with substantial knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) on wound care management are in high demand to effectively manage complex wounds. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention towards the management of wound care and its outcome on the duration of healing Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU). This was a quasi-experimental of pretest-posttest study design using a self-developed questionnaire on KAP and assessment of the duration of the healing rate of DFU. There were 82 HCPs and 60 patients recruited in this study and assigned to both intervention and control groups. The HCPs in the intervention group attended an educational intervention training, while there was no educational intervention set in the control group (treatment as usual). The duration of the healing rate of DFU patients in both groups was monitored for three months. This study found that there was a statistically significant improvement in the mean difference of KAP scores in the intervention group compared to the control group after the education intervention, in which for knowledge (M=8.23, SD=0.25, P <0.001), attitude (M=14.34, SD=0.89, P<0.001), and practice (M=12.33, SD=1.2, P <0.001). Independent Ttest revealed that the duration of healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcer in the intervention group is shorter by (M=2.38, SD= 1.84) after the educational intervention compared to patients in the control group (M=8.90, SD=2.79, p<0.001). Multiple linear regression proved a statistically significant relationship between HCPs who attended the educational intervention and improvement in their KAP scores; Knowledge F (8/73)=151.11, Beta: 8.27, p<0.001), Attitude F (8/73)=31.57, Beta: 14.30, p<0.001), and Practice F (8/73)=12.64, Beta:12.18, p<0.001), adjusted for the confounding factors. These findings conclude that the educational intervention was effective towards improving the level of KAP and contribute to shorter duration of DFU healing. Besides, better healing rate improved the quality of life and reduced micro-economic burdens of DFU patients. This study provides baseline data for higher authority at the Sabah State Health Department and the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, towards initiating further strategic plans of action in the future.