In Vietnam, there is a low level of diabetes knowledge among the general population, and significantly lower awareness in rural areas compared with urban areas. This highlights the urgent need for communication and education to improve the knowledge of the Vietnamese population of patients with type 2 diabetes on risk factors, complications, prevention and treatment. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of a patient education and self-management intervention as add-on to usual diabetes care in a low-resource setting on diabetes knowledge and blood glucose control parameters in Vietnamese patients with type 2 diabetes.~This is a single-center, randomized, controlled study among adult out-patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria are randomly assigned to a community intervention or to usual diabetes care alone (control group) for a period of 3 months. The intervention consists of group education on type 2 diabetes, including, in addition to usual diabetes care: information on diet, exercise, drug therapy, and adherence. Each patient should attend the group education monthly over 3 consecutive months. Usual diabetes care is consistent with the ADA guidelines and comprises standard dietary and exercise advice in addition to antidiabetes treatment. Diabetes knowledge is measured with a modified Michigan University Diabetes Knowledge Test (MDKT). Other study outcomes includes change in mean HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and systolic blood pressure.
This study measures the effect of a 3-month patient education and self-management intervention in a low-resource setting, on diabetes knowledge and levels of blood glucose control.