Utilization and evaluation of a diabetes screening assessment tool (DSAT) in an interprofessional student-led community-based clinic

Abstract

BackgroundThe Centers for Disease Control estimates that 34.2 million Americans have diabetes mellitus (10.5% of the US population). Approximately 14.8% of Arkansans currently have diabetes, which requires detailed assessment, patient education, and follow-up for chronic care. Healthcare students may initially lack the confidence to provide chronic diabetes care and require education and facilitation to provide evidence-based practice (EBP) care during learning activities within the community for patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes. AimThe purpose of this EBP quality improvement project was to evaluate the effect of a diabetes screening assessment tool (DSAT) on healthcare student-perceived ease of use and satisfaction in the electronic healthcare record (EHR) with regard to providing EBP diabetes care in an interprofessional setting. MethodsThe project occurred in a community clinic for underserved patients in central Arkansas with care provided by interprofessional student disciplines from nursing, medicine, and pharmacy. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to evaluate associations between perceived user satisfaction of the DSAT tool and descriptive student data. Results/ConclusionFrequency distributions demonstrated that the majority of interprofessional students found the assessment tool satisfied their need for assessment and provision of chronic diabetes care. These findings are helpful to nursing programs with student-led interprofessional experiences to promote EBP diabetes care and adoption of the EHR. Using EBP screening tools that provide practical usability in the EHR and promote student satisfaction may lead to better data collection, enhanced student planning, and positive outcomes for patients who receive care in student-led clinics.