Interventions were generally effective on behavior change and patients ’ glycemic control in the short term ( ≤9 months ) .
Conclusions The limited studies available suggest that diabetes self-management education programs in developing countries are effective in the short term but must be tailored to conform to the cultural aspects of the target population
Purpose Although self-management education is a key factor in the care for diabetes patients , its implementation in developing countries is not well documented .
This systematic review considers the published literature on diabetes self-management education in high and low mortality developing countries .
The aim is to provide a state of the art of current practice s and assess program outcomes , cultural sensitivity , and accessibility to low literate patients .
Development of an illustrated medication schedule as a low-literacy patient education tool.
OBJECTIVE Patients with low health literacy have difficulty underst and ing prescription drug labels and other medication instructions . This article describes the development , implementation , and preliminary evaluation of an illustrated medication schedule ( a " pill card " ) that depicts a patient 's daily medication regimen using pill images and icons . METHODS Participants in a r and omized controlled trial who were assigned to receive the pill card intervention  described their use of the card and its perceived effectiveness . Responses were analyzed by level of patient literacy and other characteristics . RESULTS Among the 209 respondents , 173 ( 83 % ) reported using the pill card when they initially received it , though use declined to 60 % approximately 3 months later . Patients with inadequate or marginal literacy skills , less than high school education , or cognitive impairment were most likely to refer to the card on a regular basis initially and at 3 months ( p<0.05 ) . Most pill card users ( 92 % ) rated the tool as very easy to underst and , and 94 % found it helpful for remembering important medication information , such as the name , purpose , or time of administration . CONCLUSION Nearly all patients considered an illustrated medication schedule to be a useful and easily understood tool to assist with medication management . Patients with limited literacy skills , educational attainment , or cognitive function referred to the aid with greater frequency . PRACTICE IMPLICATION S Picture-based instructions promote better underst and ing of prescription medications , particularly among patients with limited literacy skills or cognitive impairment , and should be used more widely in practice
Interventions were generally effective on behavior change and patients ’ glycemic control in the short term ( ≤9 months ) .
Conclusions The limited studies available suggest that diabetes self-management education programs in developing countries are effective in the short term but must be tailored to conform to the cultural aspects of the target population
Purpose Although self-management education is a key factor in the care for diabetes patients , its implementation in developing countries is not well documented .
This systematic review considers the published literature on diabetes self-management education in high and low mortality developing countries .
The aim is to provide a state of the art of current practice s and assess program outcomes , cultural sensitivity , and accessibility to low literate patients .