Fundación Universitaria de Navarra

Introduction: The complications associated with the chronic pathophysiological process of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a significant impact on the affected population. The Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ-24) determines the level of knowledge about diabetes, providing health professionals with information to carry out useful educational interventions and prevent both acute and chronic complications of the disease Objective: To assess the long-term effect of implementing a hospital-based therapeutic diabetes education model (self-care and knowledge) on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a population from southern Colombia. Materials and methods: Longitudinal study, prospective type, conducted on 60 hospitalized T2DM patients. The DKQ-24 was used for pre-assessment, and after 90 days, it was administered again, along with the collection of biometric variables. The intervention consisted of 5 sessions of therapeutic diabetes education in hospital settings. Results: The average results according to the DKQ-2 questionnaire pre-intervention (10.13±3.28) and post-intervention (20.13±2.77) showed significant differences (p<0.000). The biometric profile indicated significant differences (p<0.000) during pre and post-intervention, except for systolic blood pressure (p=0.275). The Cronbach's alpha for the DKQ 24 had an adequate value of 0.86. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for average measures was 0.860, considered "good" (p<0.000). Conclusions: The diabetes educational intervention demonstrated significant changes in basic knowledge levels regarding the disease, glycemic control, and complication prevention, improving the patient's biometric profile and highlighting its importance.