Diabetes is a major public health concern worldwide. Low and middle-income countries are the most affected. Diabetes self-management can significantly reduce the burden of diabetes complications and mortality. This cr...Diabetes is a major public health concern worldwide. Low and middle-income countries are the most affected. Diabetes self-management can significantly reduce the burden of diabetes complications and mortality. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient department of a county referral hospital in Kenya, from 1st August 2022 to 30th October 2022. Patients with known type II diabetes of age ≥ 20 years visiting the hospital for routine follow-up visits were included. A 7-tem Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSAC) Questionnaire was used to assess Diabetes self-care activities. For data entry and statistical analysis, SPSS for Windows version 27.0 was used. There were 96 (39.2%) males and 149 (60.8%) females. Most of the participants were more than 61 years, 148 (60.4%). Significant association was found between the sum scale scores of dietary activities, blood glucose testing, physical activity, foot care, and neuropathy at 95% CI and (p Conclusions: Diabetes self-management activities have an impact on microvascular complications in patients with diabetes.展开更多
Background: Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) causes joint destruction, resulting in hip pain, limited range-of-motion, claudication, and joint deformity. In the conservative treatment of HOA, self-management is important to m...Background: Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) causes joint destruction, resulting in hip pain, limited range-of-motion, claudication, and joint deformity. In the conservative treatment of HOA, self-management is important to manage symptoms and control disease progression. In a previous study, the researchers conducted a conceptual analysis of 43 foreign studies on self-management during conservative therapy for patients with HOA. The results revealed a definition of self-management during conservative therapy for patients with HOA. However, because that study analyzed only the foreign literature, it remains unclear whether the findings reflect the characteristics of the Japanese health-care delivery system, health-care insurance system, or the lifestyles and cultural characteristics of Japanese patients with HOA. Objective: We aimed to clarify the self-management behaviors of patients with HOA. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five patients diagnosed with HOA, and the results were subjected to inductive qualitative analysis. Results: Six categories of self-management behaviors were extracted for patients with HOA: [active information gathering about HOA], [personalized pain and weight management, and strategies for reducing hip joint load], [reflection on living conditions with individuals and professionals, and determination for future efforts], [continuation of exercise and weight management based on personal strengths and achievements, and mutual support with others], [coexistence with HOA while managing negative feelings], and [choosing treatment methods by trusting doctors while struggling with personal needs]. Conclusion: These findings suggest the need to develop health guidance and educational programs for patients with HOA that focus on how to prevent disease progression and cope with symptoms.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to argue the effectiveness of self-regulated learning in English education in Chinese college classroom instruction. A study is given to show whether the introduction of self-regulated lea...The purpose of this paper is to argue the effectiveness of self-regulated learning in English education in Chinese college classroom instruction. A study is given to show whether the introduction of self-regulated learning can help improve Chinese college students' English learning, and help them perform better in the National English test-CET-4 (College English Test Level-4,).展开更多
Objective: Describe the status quo of self-disclosure and social support in breast cancer patients and analyze the correlation between them. Methods: General data questionnaire, distress disclosure Index scale and Chi...Objective: Describe the status quo of self-disclosure and social support in breast cancer patients and analyze the correlation between them. Methods: General data questionnaire, distress disclosure Index scale and Chinese version of medical social support scale were used to investigate the correlation between self-disclosure and social support in breast cancer patients by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: 1) The total self-disclosure score was (38.75 ± 9.18);the total score of social support was (70.57 ± 14.04) scores, including emotional information support dimension (28.39 ± 6.06) scores, practical support dimension (15.62 ± 3.31) scores, elastic support dimension (14.85 ± 3.23) scores, and emotional support dimension (11.70 ± 2.56) scores. 2) Self-disclosure was positively correlated with social support (r = 0.433, p Conclusion: Breast cancer patients had a moderate level of self-disclosure, and the higher the level of self-disclosure, the better the social support. It is suggested that improving the self-disclosure level of breast cancer patients can help them obtain more social support.展开更多
Background: Self-assessed health (SAH) is used as a common method of sociology research to understand the implications of self-reported health and the link to social factors like education, income, and occupation. The...Background: Self-assessed health (SAH) is used as a common method of sociology research to understand the implications of self-reported health and the link to social factors like education, income, and occupation. The paper explores the impact of socio-economic and health indicators on self-assessed health in the middle-aged to the senior population in a rural community in Thailand. Methods: Primary data were collected after conducting a randomized sampling for 100 people using direct interviews in two locations within the sub-district of Phai Tha Pho, Thailand. The target demographic was the middle-age to elderly population. A logit model was applied to the collected samples. Results: The study highlights that higher education, income, and sleep are high predictors for positive SAH while high blood sugar level has significant adverse effects on SAH. Detection of metabolic syndrome further indicates degraded overall health perception over time. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the relationship between socio-economic indicators and illnesses alongside individual SAH in rural Thailand. Accordingly, policies have been proposed that include targeted subsidies for healthy food alternatives, promoting work-rest balance at all levels, and an expansion of sub-district education up to secondary school. SAH can be performed regularly and expanded across communities including areas of low-income living due to its low implementation costs. It could also be used as a tool to support the government’s public health initiatives complementing the existing five-year direct health check-up programme. A comparative study of SAH across regions is recommended for future research.展开更多
In underdense plasmas, the transverse ponderomotive force of an intense laser beam with Ganssian transverse profile expels electrons radially, and it can lead to an electron cavitstion. An improved cavitation model wi...In underdense plasmas, the transverse ponderomotive force of an intense laser beam with Ganssian transverse profile expels electrons radially, and it can lead to an electron cavitstion. An improved cavitation model with charge conservation constraint is applied to the determination of the width of the electron cavity. The envelope equation for spot size derived by using source-dependent expansion method is extended to including the electron cavity. The condition for self-guiding is given and illuminated by an effective potential for the laser spot size. The effects of the laser power, plasma density and energy dissipation on the self-guiding condition are discussed.展开更多
Research Background: The high prevalence of diabetes in Sudan, estimated at 16%, highlights the importance of effective health education in diabetes management. Diabetes self-management education has been identified a...Research Background: The high prevalence of diabetes in Sudan, estimated at 16%, highlights the importance of effective health education in diabetes management. Diabetes self-management education has been identified as a crucial tool in enhancing the knowledge, attitudes, and abilities necessary for self-management among individuals with diabetes. Aim: To assess the impact of diabetes self-management education on medication adherence and glycemic control in Sudanese adults with type 2 diabetes before and 3 months after the DSME intervention. Method: The study was conducted in Sudan between September 2022 and March 2023, it was an interventional, one-group, pre- and post-test study that aimed to assess the impact of diabetes self-management education (DSME) on medication adherence and diabetes control in Sudanese adults with type 2 diabetes. The research was conducted in primary health care centers in six cities in Sudan and involved 244 participants. The data entry and statistical analysis were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0. A paired t test was used for analysis. Results: The study included 244 participants, 67% of whom were males. The age mean ± SD was 48.6 ± 9.3 years, and 85.3% of participants were married. Age at onset of diabetes mean ± SD was 40.60 ± 7.81 years;44.6% had diabetes for less than 5 years;and 84.1% had a positive family history of diabetes mellitus. The levels of poor, low, and partial adherence to medication decreased by 8.2%, 4%, and 20.6%, respectively, after the intervention. The levels of good and high medication regime adherence increased by 13% and 19.8%, respectively;BMI decreased by 1.1 ± 0.73 kg/m<sup>2</sup> (p = 0.005). The fasting blood sugar decreased by 69 ± 32.9 mg/dl (p = 0.049), and the glycated hemoglobin decreased by 1.21 ± 0.28% (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study reinforce the importance of patient education in improving glycemic control and enhancing self-management behaviors. Patient education plays a critical role in enhancing glycemic control and self-management behaviors. It is essential for healthcare providers to adopt a patient-centered approach, taking into account the individual's beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about their illness and treatment. Overcoming these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach, including enhancing healthcare professionals’ knowledge and communication skills, offering accessible and culturally sensitive diabetes education programs, and addressing barriers to resources and support for self-management.展开更多
Self-efficacy plays an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and it runs through the whole process of diabetes treatment, which is conducive to controlling and delaying the occu...Self-efficacy plays an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and it runs through the whole process of diabetes treatment, which is conducive to controlling and delaying the occurrence and development of complications, as well as improving the quality of life of patients. This paper mainly describes the concept of self-efficacy, the current situation of self-efficacy of diabetic patients at home and abroad, the functional aspects and their influencing factors, so as to take relevant measures on how to improve self-efficacy. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the development of self-efficacy interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.展开更多
This article employs a combined approach of biology and economics to reveal that biological evolution has an economic nature, evolving towards improved energy efficiency. The orthodox Darwinian theory of evolution des...This article employs a combined approach of biology and economics to reveal that biological evolution has an economic nature, evolving towards improved energy efficiency. The orthodox Darwinian theory of evolution describes evolution as the random variation of organisms and their survival through natural selection. In fact, the natural environment itself is a constantly changing context, and the strategy to adapt to this change is to enhance behavioral capabilities, thereby expanding the range and dimensions of behavior. Therefore, the improvement of behavioral capabilities is an important aspect of evolution. The enhancement of behavioral capabilities expands the range of adaptation to the natural environment and increases the space for behavioral choices. Within this space of behavioral choices, some options are more effective and superior to others;thus, the ability to select is necessary to make the improved behavioral capabilities more beneficial to the organism itself. The birth and development of the brain serve the purpose of selection. By using the brain to make selections, at least the “better” behavior will be chosen between two alternatives. Once the better behavior yields better results, and the organism can associate these results with the corresponding behavior, it will persist in this behavior. The persistent repetition of a behavior over generations will form a habit. Habits passed down through generations constitute a new environment, causing the organism’s genes to activate or deactivate certain functions, ultimately leading to genetic changes that are beneficial to that habit. Since the brain’s selection represents the organism’s self-selection, it differs from random variation;it is also a rational selection, choosing behaviors that either obtain more energy or reduce energy consumption. Thus, this evolution possesses an economic nature.展开更多
Background: Self-monitoring is important for recognizing the situations one is facing and assessing one’s own competence to respond appropriately to situations that require multitasking. Purpose: This study aimed to ...Background: Self-monitoring is important for recognizing the situations one is facing and assessing one’s own competence to respond appropriately to situations that require multitasking. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the surface and content validity of the Advanced Beginner Nurses’ Self-Monitoring Scale While Multitasking and refine the scale items accordingly. It is expected that the development of such scale will allow for reflection on advanced beginner nurses’ response to multitasking, leading to further capacity building. Methods: The surface validity of 96 items of the Advanced Beginner Nurses’ Self-Monitoring Scale While Multitasking was examined at a meeting with five expert researchers. Five researchers and five nurses examined the items’ content using an item-level content validity index through a questionnaire survey. Results and Conclusion: The Advanced Beginner Nurses’ Self-Monitoring Scale While Multitasking was organized into 73 items that were refined into scales with surface and content validity. Consequently, five sub-concepts were identified: recognizing the situation one’s facing, seeing one’s self from multiple perspectives, devising concrete strategies depending on the situation, considering a predictable time schedule, and being aware of the situation surrounding one’s self. In the future, it will be necessary to examine the reliability and validity of the scale.展开更多
Diabetes is a chronic pathology whose evolution is marked by micro and macroangiopathic complications. Optimal management can prevent the onset of complications and improve patients’ quality of life. Objectives: To d...Diabetes is a chronic pathology whose evolution is marked by micro and macroangiopathic complications. Optimal management can prevent the onset of complications and improve patients’ quality of life. Objectives: To determine the frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose and to describe the errors found during self-monitoring in diabetic patients followed at the Endocrinology Department of Donka University Hospital in Guinea. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between August and September 2020 involving diabetic patients followed up at the Endocrinology and Diabetology Department of the Donka National Hospital, CHU Conakry. Results: A total of 301 patients were enrolled, with an average age of 44.24 ± 21.01 years. 64.12% were female. Type 2 diabetes predominated in 64% of cases. The mean duration of diabetes was 6.14 ± 4.67 years, and 75.08% of patients lived in urban areas. Patients were on insulin in 36.21% of cases, insulin and biguanides (26.25%), hypoglycemic sulfonamide and biguanides (19.27%) and biguanides in 18.27% of cases. The frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose was 43%, and 38% of patients made errors, notably reusing lancets (60%), not checking the expiration date (55.65%) and not washing their hands (48%). Conclusion: This study shows that self-monitoring of blood glucose is not performed by the majority of patients. Numerous errors were identified during blood glucose testing. Continued therapeutic education on the use of blood glucose meters will help empower patients and improve their quality of life.展开更多
文摘Diabetes is a major public health concern worldwide. Low and middle-income countries are the most affected. Diabetes self-management can significantly reduce the burden of diabetes complications and mortality. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient department of a county referral hospital in Kenya, from 1st August 2022 to 30th October 2022. Patients with known type II diabetes of age ≥ 20 years visiting the hospital for routine follow-up visits were included. A 7-tem Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSAC) Questionnaire was used to assess Diabetes self-care activities. For data entry and statistical analysis, SPSS for Windows version 27.0 was used. There were 96 (39.2%) males and 149 (60.8%) females. Most of the participants were more than 61 years, 148 (60.4%). Significant association was found between the sum scale scores of dietary activities, blood glucose testing, physical activity, foot care, and neuropathy at 95% CI and (p Conclusions: Diabetes self-management activities have an impact on microvascular complications in patients with diabetes.
文摘Background: Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) causes joint destruction, resulting in hip pain, limited range-of-motion, claudication, and joint deformity. In the conservative treatment of HOA, self-management is important to manage symptoms and control disease progression. In a previous study, the researchers conducted a conceptual analysis of 43 foreign studies on self-management during conservative therapy for patients with HOA. The results revealed a definition of self-management during conservative therapy for patients with HOA. However, because that study analyzed only the foreign literature, it remains unclear whether the findings reflect the characteristics of the Japanese health-care delivery system, health-care insurance system, or the lifestyles and cultural characteristics of Japanese patients with HOA. Objective: We aimed to clarify the self-management behaviors of patients with HOA. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five patients diagnosed with HOA, and the results were subjected to inductive qualitative analysis. Results: Six categories of self-management behaviors were extracted for patients with HOA: [active information gathering about HOA], [personalized pain and weight management, and strategies for reducing hip joint load], [reflection on living conditions with individuals and professionals, and determination for future efforts], [continuation of exercise and weight management based on personal strengths and achievements, and mutual support with others], [coexistence with HOA while managing negative feelings], and [choosing treatment methods by trusting doctors while struggling with personal needs]. Conclusion: These findings suggest the need to develop health guidance and educational programs for patients with HOA that focus on how to prevent disease progression and cope with symptoms.
文摘The purpose of this paper is to argue the effectiveness of self-regulated learning in English education in Chinese college classroom instruction. A study is given to show whether the introduction of self-regulated learning can help improve Chinese college students' English learning, and help them perform better in the National English test-CET-4 (College English Test Level-4,).
文摘Objective: Describe the status quo of self-disclosure and social support in breast cancer patients and analyze the correlation between them. Methods: General data questionnaire, distress disclosure Index scale and Chinese version of medical social support scale were used to investigate the correlation between self-disclosure and social support in breast cancer patients by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: 1) The total self-disclosure score was (38.75 ± 9.18);the total score of social support was (70.57 ± 14.04) scores, including emotional information support dimension (28.39 ± 6.06) scores, practical support dimension (15.62 ± 3.31) scores, elastic support dimension (14.85 ± 3.23) scores, and emotional support dimension (11.70 ± 2.56) scores. 2) Self-disclosure was positively correlated with social support (r = 0.433, p Conclusion: Breast cancer patients had a moderate level of self-disclosure, and the higher the level of self-disclosure, the better the social support. It is suggested that improving the self-disclosure level of breast cancer patients can help them obtain more social support.
文摘Background: Self-assessed health (SAH) is used as a common method of sociology research to understand the implications of self-reported health and the link to social factors like education, income, and occupation. The paper explores the impact of socio-economic and health indicators on self-assessed health in the middle-aged to the senior population in a rural community in Thailand. Methods: Primary data were collected after conducting a randomized sampling for 100 people using direct interviews in two locations within the sub-district of Phai Tha Pho, Thailand. The target demographic was the middle-age to elderly population. A logit model was applied to the collected samples. Results: The study highlights that higher education, income, and sleep are high predictors for positive SAH while high blood sugar level has significant adverse effects on SAH. Detection of metabolic syndrome further indicates degraded overall health perception over time. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the relationship between socio-economic indicators and illnesses alongside individual SAH in rural Thailand. Accordingly, policies have been proposed that include targeted subsidies for healthy food alternatives, promoting work-rest balance at all levels, and an expansion of sub-district education up to secondary school. SAH can be performed regularly and expanded across communities including areas of low-income living due to its low implementation costs. It could also be used as a tool to support the government’s public health initiatives complementing the existing five-year direct health check-up programme. A comparative study of SAH across regions is recommended for future research.
基金Project supported by the National High Technology Inertial Confinement Fusion Foundation (Grant No 10335020/A0506), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nce 10474081 and 10576035), and Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant No 05ZR14159).
文摘In underdense plasmas, the transverse ponderomotive force of an intense laser beam with Ganssian transverse profile expels electrons radially, and it can lead to an electron cavitstion. An improved cavitation model with charge conservation constraint is applied to the determination of the width of the electron cavity. The envelope equation for spot size derived by using source-dependent expansion method is extended to including the electron cavity. The condition for self-guiding is given and illuminated by an effective potential for the laser spot size. The effects of the laser power, plasma density and energy dissipation on the self-guiding condition are discussed.
文摘Research Background: The high prevalence of diabetes in Sudan, estimated at 16%, highlights the importance of effective health education in diabetes management. Diabetes self-management education has been identified as a crucial tool in enhancing the knowledge, attitudes, and abilities necessary for self-management among individuals with diabetes. Aim: To assess the impact of diabetes self-management education on medication adherence and glycemic control in Sudanese adults with type 2 diabetes before and 3 months after the DSME intervention. Method: The study was conducted in Sudan between September 2022 and March 2023, it was an interventional, one-group, pre- and post-test study that aimed to assess the impact of diabetes self-management education (DSME) on medication adherence and diabetes control in Sudanese adults with type 2 diabetes. The research was conducted in primary health care centers in six cities in Sudan and involved 244 participants. The data entry and statistical analysis were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0. A paired t test was used for analysis. Results: The study included 244 participants, 67% of whom were males. The age mean ± SD was 48.6 ± 9.3 years, and 85.3% of participants were married. Age at onset of diabetes mean ± SD was 40.60 ± 7.81 years;44.6% had diabetes for less than 5 years;and 84.1% had a positive family history of diabetes mellitus. The levels of poor, low, and partial adherence to medication decreased by 8.2%, 4%, and 20.6%, respectively, after the intervention. The levels of good and high medication regime adherence increased by 13% and 19.8%, respectively;BMI decreased by 1.1 ± 0.73 kg/m<sup>2</sup> (p = 0.005). The fasting blood sugar decreased by 69 ± 32.9 mg/dl (p = 0.049), and the glycated hemoglobin decreased by 1.21 ± 0.28% (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study reinforce the importance of patient education in improving glycemic control and enhancing self-management behaviors. Patient education plays a critical role in enhancing glycemic control and self-management behaviors. It is essential for healthcare providers to adopt a patient-centered approach, taking into account the individual's beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about their illness and treatment. Overcoming these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach, including enhancing healthcare professionals’ knowledge and communication skills, offering accessible and culturally sensitive diabetes education programs, and addressing barriers to resources and support for self-management.
文摘Self-efficacy plays an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and it runs through the whole process of diabetes treatment, which is conducive to controlling and delaying the occurrence and development of complications, as well as improving the quality of life of patients. This paper mainly describes the concept of self-efficacy, the current situation of self-efficacy of diabetic patients at home and abroad, the functional aspects and their influencing factors, so as to take relevant measures on how to improve self-efficacy. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the development of self-efficacy interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
文摘This article employs a combined approach of biology and economics to reveal that biological evolution has an economic nature, evolving towards improved energy efficiency. The orthodox Darwinian theory of evolution describes evolution as the random variation of organisms and their survival through natural selection. In fact, the natural environment itself is a constantly changing context, and the strategy to adapt to this change is to enhance behavioral capabilities, thereby expanding the range and dimensions of behavior. Therefore, the improvement of behavioral capabilities is an important aspect of evolution. The enhancement of behavioral capabilities expands the range of adaptation to the natural environment and increases the space for behavioral choices. Within this space of behavioral choices, some options are more effective and superior to others;thus, the ability to select is necessary to make the improved behavioral capabilities more beneficial to the organism itself. The birth and development of the brain serve the purpose of selection. By using the brain to make selections, at least the “better” behavior will be chosen between two alternatives. Once the better behavior yields better results, and the organism can associate these results with the corresponding behavior, it will persist in this behavior. The persistent repetition of a behavior over generations will form a habit. Habits passed down through generations constitute a new environment, causing the organism’s genes to activate or deactivate certain functions, ultimately leading to genetic changes that are beneficial to that habit. Since the brain’s selection represents the organism’s self-selection, it differs from random variation;it is also a rational selection, choosing behaviors that either obtain more energy or reduce energy consumption. Thus, this evolution possesses an economic nature.
文摘Background: Self-monitoring is important for recognizing the situations one is facing and assessing one’s own competence to respond appropriately to situations that require multitasking. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the surface and content validity of the Advanced Beginner Nurses’ Self-Monitoring Scale While Multitasking and refine the scale items accordingly. It is expected that the development of such scale will allow for reflection on advanced beginner nurses’ response to multitasking, leading to further capacity building. Methods: The surface validity of 96 items of the Advanced Beginner Nurses’ Self-Monitoring Scale While Multitasking was examined at a meeting with five expert researchers. Five researchers and five nurses examined the items’ content using an item-level content validity index through a questionnaire survey. Results and Conclusion: The Advanced Beginner Nurses’ Self-Monitoring Scale While Multitasking was organized into 73 items that were refined into scales with surface and content validity. Consequently, five sub-concepts were identified: recognizing the situation one’s facing, seeing one’s self from multiple perspectives, devising concrete strategies depending on the situation, considering a predictable time schedule, and being aware of the situation surrounding one’s self. In the future, it will be necessary to examine the reliability and validity of the scale.
文摘Diabetes is a chronic pathology whose evolution is marked by micro and macroangiopathic complications. Optimal management can prevent the onset of complications and improve patients’ quality of life. Objectives: To determine the frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose and to describe the errors found during self-monitoring in diabetic patients followed at the Endocrinology Department of Donka University Hospital in Guinea. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between August and September 2020 involving diabetic patients followed up at the Endocrinology and Diabetology Department of the Donka National Hospital, CHU Conakry. Results: A total of 301 patients were enrolled, with an average age of 44.24 ± 21.01 years. 64.12% were female. Type 2 diabetes predominated in 64% of cases. The mean duration of diabetes was 6.14 ± 4.67 years, and 75.08% of patients lived in urban areas. Patients were on insulin in 36.21% of cases, insulin and biguanides (26.25%), hypoglycemic sulfonamide and biguanides (19.27%) and biguanides in 18.27% of cases. The frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose was 43%, and 38% of patients made errors, notably reusing lancets (60%), not checking the expiration date (55.65%) and not washing their hands (48%). Conclusion: This study shows that self-monitoring of blood glucose is not performed by the majority of patients. Numerous errors were identified during blood glucose testing. Continued therapeutic education on the use of blood glucose meters will help empower patients and improve their quality of life.