Title: Empowering families through nurses for diabetic foot care at home
Abstract:
This presentation is based on an observational study 100 cases in last 5 years and 4 anecdote cases reported in this presentation the author confirms that Nurses’ roles remained the key factors in managing, caring, educating, advocating and helping clients in modifying their lifestyle practices. The author used a simple screening process of observing the debridement & dressings done by Nurses in hospitals, PHCs, Health & Welfare Centres (HFWCs). The assessments of the feet and the monofilament test were methods for examination and screening. In HFWCS author conducted practical demonstrations of debridement, maggots’ removal, cleaning, dressing & identifying cases that needed referral for further management.
Results: The clients & their family members visited for follow-up checks were knowledgeable on the importance of compliance with care and Nurses ably demonstrated foot examination. The exit interviews of the patients confirmed that in about 70% of foot care like the routine cleaning, dressing before &after debridement or even some surgical debridement in neurogenic ulcers was done by Nurses. Authorising nurses will benefit at least 30% in rural and 10% in Urban who encountered difficulties with complying to care due mostly to economic, transport, attendant (social) challenges.
Biography:
Dr. Suresh Kishanrao (known as K. Suresh) studied MBBS (1967) & MD (P&S Medicine 1984) in Karnatak University, Karnataka, India. After MBBS joined Karnataka State Health & Family Welfare Services and served as a Medical Officer of Health in 3 remote rural Primary Health Centers in Kalburgi District. He pursued in PG Diploma course Occupational Health in 1977 from Bangalore University. Then he was Public Health administrator for 4 years in Dharwad, later completed his MD (P&SM) in1984. He became class I senior Health Officer and led the National Immunization Program from January 1985. His State Immunization, and MCH Officers work with the responsibility of the State’s LHV and ANM training schools got him to the attention of UNICEF Country Office which offered a job and, he joined as Epidemiologist in September 1989. Looking at his contribution to UIP in India he was promoted to an NOD level 1n 1991. He continued to work in UNICEF as Sr Program Officer (Health) until January 2006. After retirement he has been doing freelance Public Health Consultancies for UNICEF, WHO, and Private groups. Since 2018 he has been Visiting Professor of Practice (PH) for MPH course in Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (KSRDPRU), Gadag. He has over 100 publications of his own and another 50 articles and dissertations of MPH scholars to his credit, on common illnesses (case reports) and Public Health Problems which review the current practices in India with Public Health Lens and alert the common people of their responsibilities and how the health people can exploit them and holds periodical webinars to empower family Physicians. Empowering Paramedical and families to take care of chronic illnesses like (DFU, Diabetes, Hypertension, Rheumatoid Arthritis, CKD, etc.) is his crusade currently.
