The Effects of Nurse-Led Multidisciplinary Team Management on Glycosylated Hemoglobin, Quality of Life, Hospitalization, and Help-Seeking Behavior of People with Diabetes Mellitus

AIM: To evaluate the effect of community-nurse-led multidisciplinary team management on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), quality of life (QOL), hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: A quasi-experimental trial was conducted among people with type 2 DM from two community centers in China. The intervention group (n = 88) received community-nurse-led multidisciplinary team management for 2 years, while the control group (n = 91) received usual care. Data regarding HbA1c, QOL (assessed by the SF-36), hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior were collected at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months. RESULTS: During the 24-month project, the intervention group demonstrated 1.08% reduction in HbA1c, whereas the control group achieved an increase of 0.45%. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The intervention group showed greater increased in QOL scores (from 66.43 to 70.47, P < 0.001), more decrease in hospitalization (OR = 2.981, 95% CI: 1.016, 8.752 versus OR = 1.189, 95% CI: 0.411, 3.444; P = 0.028) when compared with the control group. The percentage increase of seeking help from nurses in the intervention group (from 12.5% to 57.3%, P < 0.001) was significantly greater than that in the control group after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led multidisciplinary team management is an effective intervention for improving glycemic control, QOL, hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior for people with DM in a community.