Running head: DIABETES CAPSTONE 1

DIABETES CAPSTONE

Name of Student

Institution Affiliation

Submission Date
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Executive Summary

Diabetes involves the constant presence of too much glucose in the blood which if not

regulated could damage the body’s organs. Possible complications related to diabetes include

the damage of macro-vascular and micro-vascular blood vessels which could possibly lead to

heart attack, kidney problems, stroke and complications with the nerves, feet and gums. A

growing body of literature suggests that diabetes is a significant health issue among refugee

groups (Wagner et al., 2015). Berkowitz (2016) suggests that the increase could be “partially

mediates by education” (pg. 1274).

The prevalence of diabetes among the refugee population highlights unique risks

associated with lack of health education among the underserved population. Intervention

methods are poorly coordinated due to the cultural heritage and limited resources allocated

towards the eradication of the disease within the population (Berkowitz, 2016). While

numerous challenge face the risk of increased consequences of untreated diabetes, it must be

recognized that the disease has adverse effects that increase mortality rates while at the same

time burdening the health care budget. Therefore, education-based lifestyle interventions

could be the potential strategy to prevention and management of diabetes among the

vulnerable population.

Description of the Project

Name of the Program: Harris County Public Health Refugee Program.

Facility: Harris County Public Health Refugee

Description

Harris County Public Health Refugee Program is aimed at providing health education

and prevention to the population. The main activities involved will be working together with

health education staff to provide refugee clients with adequate information. The time

dedicated for the program will include working for 5 hours a day from Monday – Friday.
DIABETES CAPSTONE 3

Thus 25 hours per week for a period of six months will be dedicated towards the provision of

health education on diabetes prevention and treatment in the facility.

Objectives

A. Specific

Who is involved: The patient and health care provider

What do I want to accomplish?

1. Healthy Eating:

2. Exercising: This includes walking or running for 15-30 minutes a day

3. Taking medications regularly and at the right time

4. Monitoring blood sugar levels by recording results and keeping a journal

Where will the activities to accomplish the goals happen: At the patient’s home.

When the goals will be accomplished

1. Healthy eating will include identifying healthy eating habits by eating regularly,

adding whole grains, vegetables and fruits, and minimizing the intake of

carbohydrates.

2. Exercising will take place between mid-morning and early afternoon and take a

duration of 15-30 minutes

3. Medications will be taken regularly thrice a day

4. Monitoring of blood sugar levels to be done 1-2 times a day and results presented to

the healthcare provider after every two weeks

Which constraints exist: The patient will identify areas that they are comfortable with to give

themselves insulin. If they feel contained to take their glucose reading, they will be advised to

visit the healthcare settings after every two days for effective readings to be recorded.

Exercising can be done by walking to the furthest restaurant during lunch hour or walking

from home to work and vice versa if it is possible.

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Why are the goals important?

1. Eating healthy proportions of food and at the right time ensures that glucose levels in

the body are regulated and the body is not deprived of enough glucose or the vice

versa

2. Exercising regularly ensures that bodily organs are healthy and the excess glucose is

excreted through sweat

3. Taking medication daily and regularly improves A1C levels and patients are able to

feel better and manage their conditions

4. Monitoring blood sugar levels assesses the effects of the medication and other

treatment goals.

B. Measurable

The goals will be measured by the ability of the patient to reach an accomplished goal

of obtaining desired levels of A1C which will be patient –centered. In addition, through the

glucose reading levels, the health care provider will be able to assess and determine major

steps in the patient’s care plan and determine the next course of action

C. Attainable

The goals are attainable through quality and efficient education as to how and why

they should be accomplished and instilling discipline. This involves cultivating positive

attitudes among the patients and ensuring that they have adequate access to medical facilities.

D. Realistic

The goals are realistic as they are patient-centered where the behaviors of the patients

are able to highlight underlying issues that the health care can handle through the provision of

education of pharmacological intervention

E. Time Bound
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Even-though specific to patients, I will strive to ensure that a majority of the patients

accessed will achieve the required blood sugar levels and understand life style measures

within the first 3 months.

Conclusion

Improved quality of diabetic healthcare among the refugees leads to improved

healthcare outcomes characterized by reduced diabetes complications and mortality which

possibly reduces the disparities in provision of quality healthcare. It is my sincere hope that

the above approach will contribute to the efforts of collecting data with the aim of supporting

the development of interventions and policies that affect the dynamic processes through

which health disparities and created, maintained and changed.

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References

Berkowitz, S. A., Fabreau, G. E., Raghavan, S., Kentoffio, K., Chang, Y., He, W., ... &

Percac-Lima, S. (2016). Risk of developing diabetes among refugees and immigrants:

a longitudinal analysis. Journal of community health, 41(6), 1274-1281.

Wagner, J., Berthold, S. M., Buckley, T., Kong, S., Kuoch, T., & Scully, M. (2015). Diabetes

among refugee populations: What newly arriving refugees can learn from resettled

Cambodians. Current diabetes reports, 15(8), 1-14.