Diabetic_Case_Study

DIABETES CASE STUDY Diabetes refers to a condition in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or because cells don't respond to the insulin that is produced (Wikipedia, 2010). In this case, I will cover the incidence of diabetes in the United States (U.S.), and what is the diabetes including the signs and symptoms, diabetes as a chronic disease, and educational needs. In addition, psychosocial challenges that patients like Mr. D. encounter as undiagnosed diabetes is included in this case study. Incidence of Diabetes in the United States According to the Scholastic parent & child, nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and another 57 million, including two million 12-to 19-year-olds have "pre-diabetes," which puts them at risk for developing Type two diabetes, the most common form of the disease (“In the news: diabetes,” 2009). Furthermore, there are increase in the number of people who have diabetes in the United States, Epidemiologists from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that almost 13% of adults age 20 and above have diabetes and 40% of them were remained undiagnosed (“In the United States, Diabetes at Epidemic Levels,” 2009). Typical Presenting Signs of Diabetes According to Neighbors and Tannehill-Jones (2006), common signs of diabetes are characterized by symptoms of polyuria (excessive urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst), and polyphagia (excessive eating) often known as three P’s and hyperglycemia, means the excessive sugar in the blood. In case of patient D, he has the following symptoms: excessively thirst and frequent urination and weight loss that are the indicative signs of diabetes that are untreated. Potential Effects of Diabetes as a Chronic Process Diabetes can affect many parts of the body and can lead to serious complications such as blindness, kidney damage, and lower-limb amputations. Uncontrolled diabetes often leads to heart disease such as high blood pressure and stroke, mild to severe forms of nervous system damage, and gum disease. People with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses. Once they acquire these illnesses, they often have worse prognoses. For example, they are more likely to die with pneumonia or influenza than people who do not have diabetes (Center for Disease Control, 2007). Teaching Requirements with measurable objectives To make the teaching more effective, Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy of 2001, a framework for categorizing educational goals: Taxonomy of Educational Objectives are used. Vanderbilt Center for teaching (2009) website points out that these "action words" describe the cognitive processes by which thinkers encounter and work with knowledge. In addition to these action words, the patient is able to see clearly within the learning objectives are the followings: who, what, when, and how much. In case with patient D, he will be able to recognize three signs of diabetes symptoms relates to his current symptoms by the end of first doctor’s visit with 100% accuracy. In addition, patient D is able to summarize the complications of diabetes if not treated with 75% accuracy by the second doctor’s visit. Psycho-Social Challenges To manage diabetes as with other chronic diseases, patients are left to face with interpersonal and psycho-social barriers that ones must overcome. “Psychosocial Issues and Self-Care” (2007) reports that stress are negatively correlated with self-care in people with diabetes. Studies examining diabetes-specific emotional distress suggest it influences blood sugar control, perhaps through its effect on self-care behavior. In case of patient D, his stressors are from being busy as a CEO, recent divorce from his wife of 25 years and living on his own with no social support. Feelings of failure is a challenge someone like patient D will face because he is unable to control his blood sugar and worries about complications that he may encounter. In addition, feeling of depression and mood swings because of uncontrolled blood sugars are other psycho-social challenges that he will face. Conclusion Millions and millions of people are diagnosed with diabetes whether ones are treated or go on undiagnosed. To help people understand and see what diabetes is and its complication as a chronic disease can help patient like Mr. D. accept his newly diagnosed diabetes. In addition, education with measurable objectives will help patient such as Mr. D. overcome any challenges that he may face. References Center for Disease Control. (2007). Diabetes Public Health Resource. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates07.htm#8 Diabetes. (2010. May 30). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Retrieved May 30, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus In the news: Diabetes. (2009). Scholastic Parent & Child, 17(3). doi:10700552 In the United States, Diabetes at Epidemic Levels. (2009). Spa Management, 19(12), 1. Neighbors, M., & Tannehill-Jones, R. (2006). Human Disease (2nd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thompson Delmar Learning Psychosocial Issues and Self-Care. (2007). American Journal of Nursing, 107(6), 34-38. Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp'tid=724233 Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. (2009). Bloom's Taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/theory/blooms.htm