Diabetes in Miami Nursing Academic Paper

Diabetes in Miami, FL

• For the identification of various outcomes of diabetes, I will use annual reports on the state of the condition in the community. For example, I can use the Florida diabetes report (http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/diabetes/Diabetes-Resources/_documents/2019-dac-report.pdf). It gives information on public health consequences of diabetes, including mortality and the rates of chronic diseases among the diabetic population. The report also provides data on the costs of diabetes and hospitalization.

Additionally, I will refer to community support groups. One of the local centres is Diabetes Center Miami (http://diabetescentermiami.com). The centre’s website provides educational materials on diabetes, including its symptoms, management, and outcomes. It also gives contact information for diabetic patients and their family members in case of additional questions.

• Community members are most interested in the risk of complications and lifestyle modification. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes can cause cardiovascular diseases, skin, eye, and foot complications, neuropathy, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and ketoacidosis (ADA, n. d.). Diabetes complications significantly increase mortality rates among the population. They also deprive patients of social activities and reduce their quality of life.

Lifestyle modification is key to the prevention and management of diabetes. According to the research, healthy lifestyle changes can prevent around 30% of complications (Tung & Peek, 2015). Community members search for educational materials and recommendations to manage diabetes and improve the quality of life. They also need professional assistance to balance a healthy lifestyle with necessary medications and procedures.

• I will compare community, state, and national rates of diabetic complications using the statistical data from annual reports on diabetes. For example, I can use the Florida diabetes report and the National diabetes statistic report (https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf) to analyze the prevalence of chronic diseases among the diabetic population in Miami, Florida, and the United States. The reports classify diabetic complications by their types. Additionally, comparing the reported data will indicate diabetes-related mortality rates on the local, state, and national levels.

In turn, I can monitor the effectiveness and prevalence of lifestyle modifications in diabetes management using the data on diabetes-related hospitalizations and medical appointments. I can find this information in the same annual reports. Reduced rates of hospital admissions can indicate better management of diabetes and higher rates of a healthy lifestyle among the patients. Additionally, I can ask for the same data from the healthcare department in the community and the state.

References

American Diabetes Association (ADA). (n. d.). Complications. American Diabetes Association. Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications.

Tung, E. L., & Peek, M. E. (2015). Linking community resources in diabetes care: a role for technology? Current Diabetes Reports, 15(7), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-015-0614-5.