Introduction
Medical specialists face many problems in nursing, and finding solutions for them requires a long and thorough analysis of scientific research. This is especially true for the provision of assistance to the elderly population who are at risk. One of the most severe health problems in this population group is type 2 diabetes, as this disease negatively affects the condition of the entire body.
Thus, this research paper aims to study the effectiveness of using nutrition consultations and food diaries to keep blood sugar levels within the appropriate range for older patients with diabetes. The PICOT Question of this research paper is “In elderly patients (60 years and above) with type 2 diabetes, will a nutrition consult and food diary help to keep BG levels within normal range better than with exercise alone?”
Background of Studies
Within the framework of this work, two qualitative studies will be investigated, which concern the treatment of Older Adults with Diabetes using nutrition interventions. The first article written by Tamura et al. is titled “Nutrition Management in Older Adults with Diabetes: A Review on the Importance of Shifting Prevention Strategies from Metabolic Syndrome to Frailty.” This work emphasizes the importance of using suitable glycaemic control and is focused on extending expectations with suitable nutrition, social connectivity, and exercise.
Researchers pose several research questions: “How is diabetes associated with frailty?”, “Is diabetes mellitus associated with dementia and cognitive impairment?” and “Which actions should healthcare practitioners take to minimize the prevalence of type II diabetes?” (Tamura et al., 2020). Conducted by Tamura et al., it is of value to nursing as it examines the effectiveness of nutrition interventions for the treatment of diabetes in the elderly.
The second research paper on which this academic paper focuses is the article “The effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus” by Wang et al. The authors explore the benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet in advancing blood sugar levels. The main Research question “Is a low-fat diet effective in advancing the levels of blood sugar in England and America?” and “Are patients with type 2 diabetes benefitting from using nutrition with low-fat components?” (Wang et al., 2018). Like the study by Tamura et al., this research paper is significant for nursing practice, as it provides an intervention that can assist in treating elderly people with type 2 diabetes.
Support for the Nursing Practice Problem
The articles selected for this work provide necessary assistance when receiving an answer to the PICOT question posed at the beginning. First, both works place patients with type 2 diabetes at the center of their research, which directly relates to the question posed. Secondly, they are studying the effectiveness of implementing such interventions as suitable nutrition and low-carbohydrate diet on glycemic control as part of the general type 2 diabetes treatment program, exercises, and other methods.
The article by Tamura et al. relates to the PICOT question by examining the management of nutrition among adults with diabetes and the significance of shifting the prevention strategies from metabolic syndrome to frailty (Tamura et al., 2020). Additionally, interventions and groups in the scientific works are compared to the ones highlighted in the PICOT question. A research paper by Wang et al. studies the effects of decreased carbohydrate diet on the control of Glycemic in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is worth noting that this study does not compare to those identified in PICOT question as it examines patients older than 18, that is, not only the elderly (Wang et al., 2018). Thus, both selected articles correspond to the PICOT question posed at the beginning of this academic paper.
Method of Studies
Tamura et al., in their research, use the Qualitative data analysis method. The main advantages of using this method for conducting scientific research are an expanded amount of conducted and proven data and a high level of flexibility. It manifests itself in the ability to transform information search queries depending on the additional questions that arise. At the same time, the main limitation of this method is the possible presence of bias.
Bergen and Labonté point out that in such works, there is “a tendency to present reality to align with what is perceived to be socially acceptable” (p. 783). Unlike Tamura et al., Wang et al. They used a randomized control method involving 49 patients as the basis of their qualitative research (Wang et al., 2018). The benefit of this approach is minimizing possible prejudice and bias. At the same time, the negative side of this method is the ethics associated with the treatment of patients and the acquisition of informed consent.
Results of Studies
The research findings of the article by Tamura et al. provided the realization that nutritional therapy combined with exercise is essential in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. This is especially true for elderly patients who are at risk and may have other external diseases (Tamura et al., 2020). Thus, the authors pointed out that introducing nutritional therapy as an integral part of the treatment program for patients with type 2 diabetes is of particular value. A study by Wang et al. proved that the low carbohydrate diet could significantly help in improving blood glucose than the low-fat diet, while the low carbohydrate diet was more effective (Wang et al., 2018). The main implication of this work is to draw attention to the need to implement a practical education diet for patients.
Ethical Considerations
The first ethical concern when conducting research is ensuring the confidentiality of patients’ personal information. To ensure this, researchers must obtain informed consent from participants and implement measures to preserve and dispose of the data obtained. The second issue concerning ethics is to ensure the absence of bias and prejudice, which can seriously negatively affect the results of scientific work. Wang et al. and Tamura et al. took these ethical considerations into account while performing their research. Hence, the researchers ensured the non-disclosure of patients’ personal information directly related to the objects and subjects of high-quality research. To avoid interference, bias, and prejudice, the researchers conducted detailed and extensive work that ensured the minimization of this aspect.
Conclusion
In conclusion, within the framework of this work, two articles were investigated by Wang et al. and Tamura et al., which concerned the introduction of nutrition interventions for the treatment of patients with type II diabetes. Both scientific papers emphasized the effectiveness of implementing this kind of approach and exercises to improve patients’ well-being. In addition, these qualitative studies used different methods to obtain information, while both provided limits on possible ethical issues. The chosen works are valuable and significant for medical practice because they highlight the need of implementing a low-carb diet and appropriate nutrition for glycemic control in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
References
Bergen, N., & Labonté, R. (2020). “Everything is perfect, and we have no problems”: detecting and limiting social desirability bias in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 30(5), 783-792. Web.
Tamura, Y., Omura, T., Toyoshima, K., & Araki, A. (2020). Nutrition management in older adults with diabetes: A review on the importance of shifting prevention strategies from metabolic syndrome to frailty. Nutrients, 12(11), 3367. Web.
Wang, L. L., Wang, Q., Hong, Y., Ojo, O., Jiang, Q., Hou, Y. Y., Huang, Y. H., & Wang, X. H. (2018). The effect of low-carbohydrate diet on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nutrients, 10(6), 661. Web.