Abstract
The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to increase adherence to follow-up appointments in patients with diabetes mellitus for prevention of diabetic foot ulcers. The sample comprised 33 adults with diabetes mellitus being cared for at an outpatient wound care clinic affiliated with a large metropolitan hospital in the state of Mississippi, located in the Southern United States. This quality improvement approach used the Plan-Do-Study-Act method. Educational flyers and verbal instruction were provided to enhance adherence to preventive nail care and follow-up appointments. The goal for this quality improvement initiative was to increase adherence with preventive nail care and follow-up care. Participants were provided with educational flyers and verbal instruction that emphasized the importance of follow-up clinic appointments, which promoted increased attendance at follow-up appointments. The proportion of patients who did not attend follow-up appointments fell from 9.2% prior to the intervention to 5.8% after its introduction. This quality improvement initiative positively impacted practice at a local wound care clinic in Mississippi resulting in a clinically relevant reduction in no-show follow-up visits when compared to the previous year.
Published Version
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