Evaluation of Short-Term Knowledge Changes through a Diabetes Education Program at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a short-term multidisciplinary diabetes education program on changes in knowledge scores in hospitalized type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 316 type 2 diabetes patients who were hospitalized at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital between April 2018 and March 2022. Patients participated in a structured multidisciplinary educational program consisting of nine weekly sessions covering key topics such as pathophysiology, blood glucose self-monitoring, insulin administration, diet, and exercise. Patients’ knowledge was assessed using a 46-item checklist administered on the day after admission and the day before discharge. Changes in scores were analyzed, and factors associated with higher knowledge scores were identified using multivariate regression analysis. Results: The median checklist score significantly increased from 16 (11-22) at admission to 31 (21-37) at discharge (p < 0.001), with 93.4% of participants showing increase knowledge scores. Factors independently associated with the score at discharge included younger age (β = -0.365, p < 0.001), shorter duration of diabetes (β = 0.279, p = 0.0063), and better cognitive function (β = 0.279, p < 0.001). Improvements in knowledge were consistent across all checklist domains, indicating the comprehensive association with increased scores of the program. Conclusions: A systematic diabetes education program for hospitalized patients led to a significant increase in knowledge scores over a short hospitalization period. These results support the importance to integrate similar multidisciplinary education programs into routine hospital diabetes care.
