Shereen Abd Elmoneam Ahmed^1,, Madiha Hassan Nabih Mohamed²

Background: The incidence of diabetes is growing especially in developing countries. Implementation of a protocol of care can increase the self-care management behaviors of the patients. Aim: To evaluate the effect of a protocol of care on patients with none-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus related to self-care management behaviors. Methods: A quasi-experimental one group (pre/post-test), design was utilized in this study, on a purposeful sample of 100 adult patients aged (30-50) years old, diagnosed with (NIDDM), and were enrolled in the medical inpatient and the outpatient units affiliated to Suez-Canal University Hospitals and the Specialized Medical Hospital, Mansoura University, Egypt, between October 2016 and September, 2017. A structured interview technique used to collect the data three times throughout the study (pre-intervention, 2 weeks post, and 3 months follow-up). Patients received the diabetic protocol of care after assessing the baseline data and implementation of the program. The study instruments were the socio-demographic and medical history questionnaire; knowledge and attitudes questionnaire; the summary of diabetes self-care behaviors scale (SDSCA), and observational checklist to assess the related procedures to be practiced by the patients. Results: Significant increase in the level of the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and self-care management behaviors score was observed after implementation of the protocol of care by 2 weeks and 3-months compared with the pre-implementation scores. Conclusion/Implication for future practice: The findings of the current study concluded that there is a positive significant correlation between the study variables as the protocol of care appraised the level of self-care management behaviors among the studied patients. The current study will help the participants to manage themselves, and reduce complications of the disease that can occur with inefficient care. Recommendations: The study recommended the need for implementing a structured protocol of care at the hospitals as ordinary patient services with stress on self-care behaviors.

protocol of care, self-care management behaviors, none-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus