Review Literature On Clinical Practice Topic Area You Are Interested: Diabetes (Research Paper Sample)

Clinical Practice Recommendations for Diabetes
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Clinical Practice Recommendations for Diabetes
Introduction
The clinical practice topic of interest in the discussion is diabetes, and the paper will extensively expound some of the fundamental guidelines and recommendations for managing the disease. Several studies have confirmed that diabetes is gradually becoming an epidemic causing the death of millions of people annually. The condition is also the significant risk factor for heart related diseases and obesity and therefore research on the immediate actions to prevent the death toll is necessary. A literature review of four types of studies steered by physicians will be conducted in the paper, and the appraisal synopsis of each journal will indicate how the topic of interest will advance the field of nursing and broaden the knowledge on the strategies for containing diabetes.
Part A
Diabetes, commonly known as diabetes mellitus is a disease that results in the rise of the blood sugar levels (glucose) in the body. Glucose is essential because it is the sole source of energy to critical organs like the brain, body tissues and the nervous system. Diabetes is becoming a global health concern, affecting millions of people in the world. The death of over 18million people annually from cardiovascular diseases has been linked to diabetes since it is the primary predisposing factor.
Both America and Australia are struggling to manage the disease, and the increased research on diabetes explains this. In the US, prediabetes has been found to claim a lot of lives especially the population with twenty years and above. As a result, research will allow the clinicians to know the target population and also learn about the predisposing factors that trigger the infections. Similarly, Australia spends a lot of money annually of up to $700 million treating type 2 diabetes that creeps gradually into the body due to late diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Therefore, this knowledge provides the necessary platform to commence treatment for the affected population.
As a result of the growing number of individuals with diabetes and the death tolls threatening to rise, nurses have taken a key role in managing and treating diabetes. The global health problem has become an essential topic in nursing because the clinicians are striving to reduce related factors associated with diabetes. Clinical research in diabetes is essential because the trials conducted by clinicians are critical in finding the right cure for the disease. It is also imperative to learn about diabetes to create awareness on the causes and the health concerns affecting these patients. The diabetes discussion is critical because people are likely to get awareness on the proper ways of leading healthy lifestyles, thus limiting the attack of the disease.
Part B
Diabetes in the US has become a significant health concern, and this has prompted clinicians and other health practitioners to devote both their time and resources in finding the best cure for the disease. More than 30 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, and 2 out of every five individuals are unaware that they have the disease. The American Diabetes Association has pointed out that presently, over 110 million people are living with diabetes and the numbers are threatening to escalate. The leading cause of diabetes in the US is a weak immune system that allows infections to destroy beta cells in the pancreas that produces insulin. Other causes include sedentary lifestyles with lack of physical activities.
In Australia, diabetes is equally a health concern and has been termed as the epidemic of the 21st century. Just like in America, diabetes is on the rise and mostly affects the Aboriginal communities. Type 1 diabetes affects 10% of the entire population, and the country has been ranked 7th in the world for high incidences in this type of diabetes.
The following discussion is based on four research reports that have been conducted by different clinicians both in the US and Australia. The reports seek to highlight some of the critical measures to be followed for the management of diabetes.
Study #1
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the leading body in the USA that researches on diabetes. The primary purpose for conducting the study was to offer information not only to clinicians but patients and other involved stakeholders on how the quality of care can be attained. Similarly, the study seeks to identify the typical comorbid situations that provide a convenient environment for the disease to thrive (American Diabetes Association, 2015). Lastly, the research outlines activities that promote healthy living among patients with diabetes. The standard approach that is utilized by ADA is scientific evidence as it guides the attainment of evidence-based recommendations for diabetes.
The study used the inclusion criteria which made sure that the subjects in the study portray the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Also, there was a need for this particular criterion so that the proper measures of treatment are presented to the participants with these characteristics. The individuals all took part in the contribution of the data (American Diabetes Association, 2015). Pharmacological interventions were used in the study, and they include metformin and thiazolidinediones. Metformin was proven to be more effective in providing long-term prevention for diabetes. However, when compared with lifestyle enhancement activities, metformin was less effective although it worked quite well for individuals with BMI $35 kg/m2 (American Diabetes Association, 2015).
The method used for data analysis was the quantitative approach, and the statistics in the research evidences this. However, a qualitative form of research, observation and this was to observe how patients reacted with the treatment. The main findings were that pharmacological and therapeutic interventions helped manage diabetes and those patients over the age of 65 experienced higher rates of premature deaths, and this is because of the health conditions associated with old age (American Diabetes Association, 2015).
Study #2
Stoneman, Atkinson, Davey & Marley (2014) researched the prevalence of diabetes in Australia. The purpose of the study is to show how continuous efforts on improving the health of the Aborigines for ten years lead to the provision of quality care among the minority group in Australia. The research design used is descriptive, evidenced by the use of interviews to collect data from clinicians and the patients. The sample was obtained through surveys to conclusively identify the appropriate population (Atkinson, Davey & Marley, 2014). The use of inclusion criteria was significant in this case because the sample elicited appropriate features to aid in the conduction of the research.
Both the patients and the staff contributed effectively to the collection of data, and this was attained from the interviews and the focus groups. The two parties offered information on how the continuous provision of quality care would help manage diabetes (Atkinson, Davey & Marley, 2014). The method that was used to collect data was performing audits on the patients primarily to find out more about family history. The audit period began in July 2011 to July 2012, and it was performed on patients who were fifteen years and above among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population who had been earlier on diagnosed with diabetes (Atkinson, Davey & Marley, 2014). The intervention that was being tested was the efficiency of the continuous quality improvement (CQI). The researchers' core objective was to test the effectiveness of the intervention among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients for ten years.
Both the quantitative and the qualitative analyses were utilized in the study. The interviews and the focus groups formed part of the qualitative analysis whereas the audits were the statistical/analysis that was used to summarize the numerical data collected (Atkinson, Davey & Marley, 2014). The findings from the audits confirmed that delivery rates for monitoring diets, identifying the rates of smoking, physical activities and the screening of retina for the patients was reduced in every health services in the region (Atkinson, Davey & Marley, 2014). Nonetheless, if CQI were maintained during the entire period, diabetes would be managed as the allocation of resources would be reinforced.
The study was credible in the utilization of the research methods, and designs broaden the comprehension of how CQI can be improved among the Aborigines in Australia. However, there was one limitation for this study and that it fails to highlight any shifts that are likely to be encountered during the ten year period and therefore, future research should focus on this weakness.
Study #3
The third research was conducted by Grant and Kirkman (2014), and their primary purpose was to highlight the specific standards that nurses and clinicians could employ in improving quality of care for their diabetic patients. The standards are only to be approved if they meet the following requirements. They should aim at reducing cardiovascular diseases, can manage glycaemia, and finally should screen and diagnose diabetes. The study design used was a review and specifically literature review where Grant and Kirkman (2014) reviewed previous related studies conducted by past researchers. The reviews aimed to identify the trends of older standards and revised so that they would align to the upcoming trends. The sample was obtained through literature review and the data collected was arranged in tabular form (Grant and Kirkman, 2014). Reviewing past literature with similar information indicates that the inclusion criteria were used and this is why the expected results we...