Examining the Role of Mediterranean Diet in Improving Glycemic Control in Diabetic Patients.

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project seeks to examine the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in improving glycemic control in diabetic patients. Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub: Managing Diabetes with Diet was the appropriate organization for this DNP Project. With a strong emphasis on managing diabetes through the Mediterranean diet, this setting positions the project as a holistic health and wellness destination. It proposes a multimodal strategy for improving glycemic control, including support, resources, and education (Bergia et al., 2020). The meeting took place in California at a social hall downtown. California is also the ideal location to conduct the project since it is one of the states in the USA with high diabetes rates, with a 10.2% rate.

The meeting had several participants. They featured a medical director whose job was to offer advice, insight, and medical expertise on how nutrition affects glycemic management. A Certified Diabetes Educator shared essential knowledge about the difficulties experienced by diabetic patients and practical methods for adopting dietary modifications. In order to provide information on the dietary needs and suggestions of diabetes patients and how the Mediterranean Diet could be included in their treatment plan, a Certified Nutritionist was present. A research coordinator assisted with organizational procedures verified relevant regulations were followed, and gave administrative support. An expert in quality improvement shared information and tactics for putting quality improvement initiatives into action and assessing the effects of the practice change. Finally, it was necessary to include patient representatives in the conference because their viewpoints could offer insightful information about the preferences and potential obstacles to implementing the Mediterranean diet in diabetic patients.

When selecting the organization that could best fit this project, I did research that helped discover the Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub organization—familiarized myself with their programs, services, and their previous research. Everything about this organization, including its mission, values, and goals, aligned with diabetic management and nutrition, including the use of Mediterranean diets, which led me to choose it for my project. Therefore, I contacted the Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub organization through their website. I identified myself as a DNP student curious to investigate how the Mediterranean diet can help diabetic patients with glycemic control. I expressed my desire to work with their knowledge and resources. Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub has a Research Director whose role is to help students with their projects by offering advice, encouragement, and mentorship, ensuring that their work aligns with the organization’s objectives, and arranging for the resources they need to finish them successfully.

The DNP Project.

Participants in the organization meeting had several questions regarding my project. They asked what the specific focus of my DNP Project was. I responded that the goal of my project was to look into the effect of the Mediterranean diet on glycemic control in diabetic individuals. I suggested investigating the available data, evaluating the potential advantages, and suggesting methods for incorporating the Mediterranean diet into the diabetes care strategy. They also asked what my expectations were from the organization regarding support and collaboration. I replied that I sought assistance with resources, pertinent information, and knowledge about diabetes control and diet. Collaboration could entail promoting interactions with medical specialists, helping to find qualified study volunteers, and sharing existing research.

In order to identify our possible practice gap or practice change, we evaluated the organization’s current practices and approaches for managing diabetes; we conducted a needs analysis to identify the unique difficulties and requirements of diabetic patients about dietary management, we reviewed the available research and evidence on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for glycemic control in diabetic patients, we brainstormed potential practice changes that the DNP project could address, and then we finalized the practice change would be the focus of the project. We identified “Development and Implementation of Mediterranean Diet Education Program for Diabetic Patients.” As our practice changes.

The Mediterranean diet has demonstrated potential advantages for enhancing diabetic patients’ glycemic control (Ismael et al., 2021). The practice change would entail an educational program that is especially suited for diabetes patients to maximize this nutritional approach’s effects. This program seeks to give participants thorough knowledge, helpful advice, and support for incorporating and adhering to the Mediterranean Diet into their diabetes treatment strategy (Gkouskou et al., 2021). Quality improvement initiative was the approach we selected for this DNP project.

The implementation program will lessen health inequities and promote equal health outcomes by addressing the unique requirements and difficulties faced by people from poor backgrounds, such as limited accessibility to fresh produce or cultural obstacles to dietary adjustments. To guarantee that patients may follow the Mediterranean Diet while preserving their cultural identity, the program will also consider cultural factors, traditional food selections, and cooking techniques. The initiative enables diabetes patients to manage their health by educating and supplying them with resources.

Project Team.

This kind of DNP project can entail several stakeholders and team members. They include Healthcare providers like physicians and nurse practitioners who can provide clinical expertise and support, registered nutritionists, and diabetes educators who can offer knowledge and expertise in the education programs. Potential team members would include researchers to help in data collection and analysis; the program coordinator would help oversee the project’s implementation, and Administrators and policymakers would help facilitate support and sustainability of the education program.

Next Steps.

The following were the critical steps for the DNP project that I presented to the organization after the organization meeting: analyzing the meeting outcomes and updating the project plan appropriately; conducting a literature review to ensure evidence-based research; modifying the intervention strategy based on meeting recommendations; developing appropriate data collection methods; obtaining necessary approvals; recruiting appropriate participants; implementing the intervention and monitoring progress; and collecting data.

During the meeting, a question was asked regarding the Next steps I presented. They requested to know the strategy I would use to recruit the appropriate participants for the project. I responded by saying that I would use a strategic recruitment strategy to identify the target population, which is diabetic patients. Collaboration with healthcare providers, clinics, and community organizations would be crucial to identify potential participants who would benefit from the intervention.

Evidence.

Summary.

The organization meeting had major strengths: The Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub has deep expertise in wellness, nutrition, and diabetes management. Their expertise and knowledge will significantly improve the project’s quality and results. Another major strength was the collaboration with Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub organization. Engaging healthcare professionals, registered dietitians, diabetes educators, and other organizational stakeholders will enhance the project by bringing in a variety of viewpoints and thoughts. Remarkably, there was only one weakness of the meeting: The organization staff had conflicting priorities and little time to devote to actively participating in the DNP project. The degree of involvement and participation throughout the project could be affected by this restriction. The meeting was very successful. I only wish I informed the organization about my project earlier to get more expertise in the practical part of it.

Conclusion.

The organization meeting posted a significant impact on my project. It enabled me to better understand what is required to succeed my project. The meeting came up with a practice change that fitted this project. I learned a lot from the meeting, including how vital this project is to diabetic patients. I am so grateful to Mediterranean Health and Wellness Hub organization for barking up my project on short notice.

I look forward to making this project successful by ensuring the goal of the project is met.

References.

Gkouskou, K., Lazou, E., Skoufas, E., & Eliopoulos, A. G. (2021). Genetically Guided Mediterranean Diet for the Personalized Nutritional Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Nutrients, 13(2), 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020355

Ismael, S., Silvestre, M. P., Vasques, M., Araújo, J. R., Morais, J., Duarte, M. I., Pestana, D., Faria, A., Pereira-Leal, J. B., Vaz, J., Ribeiro, P., Teixeira, D., Marques, C., & Calhau, C. (2021). A Pilot Study on the Metabolic Impact of Mediterranean Diet in Type 2 Diabetes: Is Gut Microbiota the Key? Nutrients, 13(4), 1228. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041228

Pan, B., Wu, Y., Yang, Q., Ge, L., Gao, C., Xun, Y., Tian, J., & Ding, G. (2019). The impact of major dietary patterns on glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, and weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes: A network meta-analysis. Journal of evidence-based medicine, 12(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12312