A Summary of the Article
The article discussed the value of the online diabetes community (DOC) and its practice applications. According to the article, diabetes is a chronic health condition that requires daily control of glucose balance in the body (Litchman et al., 2017). Another essential term that was discussed in the article is peer health and its management. Peer health is an interaction between peers who share similar health conditions (Litchman et al., 2017). Peer interactions promote education and support in treating diseases such as diabetes (Litchman et al., 2017). DOC is a form of peer health that allows people with diabetes to share their experiences and feedback with other members of the community (Litchman et al., 2017). The article’s study covered older adult users of DOC in the United States who were born between 1946 and 1964 (Litchman et al., 2017). The researchers applied the method of telephone interviews to determine the results and effectiveness of the program. The article studied the applications and effectiveness of DOC among older people.
Reason
The article was chosen for the research of a modern approach to the problem of diabetes. In addition, the article emphasizes the effectiveness of technology in supporting older patients. Such a modern approach allows scientists to analyze a larger number of senior citizens. The article’s information provides insight into the effectiveness of online platforms in addressing the issue of diabetes. According to the authors, their research on relationships between older adults and DOC was the first in the field (Litchman et al., 2017). By applying modern research techniques, the authors could accurately analyze the DOC’s value. Therefore, the article was chosen as a source and the foundation of this research paper for its valuable data and relevance to the topic studies.
Implications
Nursing specialists can apply the results of the article to the development of modern techniques in healthcare. An online community, for example, can expand coverage of older adults with diabetes and promote support for patients who do not have immediate access to nursing services. Nurses can use the article’s data to analyze the effectiveness of other online communities and develop specialized approaches. In addition, nurses can learn the value of online diabetes treatment and support. The article’s information can facilitate the integration of modern systems into healthcare delivery. By analyzing the study’s results, nurses can improve their knowledge of technological advancements in the treatment of diabetes among older adults. Thus, the article provides an essential contribution to nursing practices and increases the knowledge of the treatment of diabetes in the older population.
Objects
The aim of the study was to analyze the value of the online diabetes community in supporting older adult patients. In addition, the goal was to describe why senior citizens cooperated with the DOC (Litchman et al., 2017). Then, the research attempted to illustrate how healthcare providers connected with the DOC and provide details of their interconnection (Litchman et al., 2017). In summary, the research aimed to understand the value of interactions between older adults and healthcare specialists in a specialized online platform designed to provide support and education.
Methods
To conduct the study, researchers used the method of telephone interviews. Participant recruitment was completed using social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (Litchman et al., 2017). As a result, a sample group of 76 people was formed. (Litchman et al., 2017). All of the participants were born between 1946 and 1964 and represented an older population (Litchman et al., 2017). In addition, the adults were instructed with regard to the details and questions of the interview beforehand (Litchman et al., 2017). Equally important was the requirement of a verbal agreement to participate in the studies. Therefore, the researchers requested permission at the start of the telephone calls (Litchman et al., 2017). During the interviews, the answers of the participants were recorded and transcribed verbatim (Litchman et al., 2017). To ensure the accuracy of the transcriptions, one of the researchers periodically reviewed the written texts and compared them with the audio recordings (Litchman et al., 2017). The interviews offered valuable data that supported the research’s objectives and functioned as a consistent inquiry method.
The Study’s Findings
The study described the value of DOC in providing support and knowledge to older diabetes patients. The study described in the article was the first attempt to analyze the usage of the DOC by senior citizens (Litchman et al., 2017). The participants expressed their support of the online platform and the ability to share their experiences with peers with identical health issues (Litchman et al., 2017). In addition, they greatly benefited from users who demonstrated extensive experience living with diabetes (Litchman et al., 2017). According to the study, the online community filled one of the gaps in the healthcare system (Litchman et al., 2017). Specifically, healthcare programs were not able to provide sufficient mental support to every patient, and platforms such as DOC increased the knowledge and confidence of older adults in diabetes management (Litchman et al., 2017). The study provided an essential analysis of the implications of the DOC by utilizing effective methods of collecting information.
Reference
Litchman, M. L., Rothwell, E., & Edelman, L. S. (2017). The diabetes online community: Older adults supporting self-care through peer health. Patient education and counseling, 101(3), 518-523. Web.