PICOT QUESTION: In adults aged 65 and above with type 2 diabetes in a rural community in Miami, Florida (P), does the implementation of a community-based diabetes self-management education program (I) compared to standard care (C) result in improved glycemic control, reduced diabetes-related complications, decreased healthcare utilization, and enhanced quality of life (O) over a 12-month period (T)?
Poor Glycemic Control in Diabetes Mellitus Type II
Full Answer Section
- T (Timing): Over a 12-month period. This sets a realistic timeframe to observe potential effects.
This PICOT question provides a solid foundation for designing a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based diabetes self-management education program in your specified population.
Here are some additional points to consider:
- Glycemic Control: HbA1c is a common measure for glycemic control. You might want to specify a desired reduction in HbA1c levels in your outcome.
- Diabetes-related complications: Specifying the types of complications you'd be interested in (e.g., foot ulcers, retinopathy) could further refine the outcome measure.
- Quality of life: There are various validated questionnaires to measure quality of life in diabetic patients. Choosing a specific tool would strengthen your research design.
By incorporating these refinements, you can create a more precise and measurable PICOT question for your research.
Sample Answer
Your PICOT question is well-constructed!
Here's a breakdown of the components:
- P (Population): Adults aged 65 and above with type 2 diabetes in a rural community in Miami, Florida. This clearly defines the target group.
- I (Intervention): Implementation of a community-based diabetes self-management education program. This specifies the proposed solution.
- C (Comparison): Standard care. This defines the control group for comparison.
- O (Outcome): Improved glycemic control, reduced diabetes-related complications, decreased healthcare utilization, and enhanced quality of life. This outlines the desired results.