Effect of Empowerment Program with and without Telenursing on Self-efficacy and Glycosylated Hemoglobin Index of Patients with Type-2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction:Developing new training methods for improving the health of diabetic patients has always been a concern for nurses. The present study aims to investigate the effects of empowermentbased interventions with or without telenursing on selfefficacy and HbA1c level in diabetic patients. Methods:In this randomized clinical trial, 156 patients with type2 diabetes were randomly assigned into two intervention groups (empowerment with/without telenursing) and one control group. All subjects in the intervention groups participated in two sessions of the empowerment program. However, only the group of empowerment with telenursing received telephone counseling for 12 weeks. The patients in the control group did not receive any intervention programs. Selfefficacy was measured by diabetesspecific selfefficacy scale. The HbA1c level was measured using Bionic kit. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA). Results:After 14 weeks, while the changes in selfefficacy scores of the control group were not statistically significant, they were significant in the two intervention groups. Comparison of the two intervention groups showed that selfefficacy was higher in the group of empowerment with telenursing. It was only in the empowerment with telenursing group that the reduction of HbA1 c was significant. Conclusion:Training based on empowerment models and emphasis on the strengths of clients in solving their own problems can play a major role in increasing selfefficacy and reduction of HbA1c level. In addition, a continuous training program, along with telephone followups can result in higher selfefficacy and lower HbA1c level.