Home-based carers' use of the finnish diabetes risk score tool to assess diabetes melitus patients at Ga-Dikgale Village, South Africa : a feasibility study

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus has become a worldwide problem that is continuing to rise resulting in morbidity and mortality in developing countries.Finland developed the FINDRISC tool. Canada uses the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) tool and the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire (CANRISC), Germany has developed the German Diabetes Risk Score (GDRS). These risk scores are all self-assessment tools meant for assessing the risk of diabetes. They cover variables such as age, waist circumference, height, history of hypertension, physical activity, consumption of alcohol, coffee, whole grains and red meat (Buijsse, Simmons, Griffin & Schulze, 2010). Aim: To determine the feasibility of Home-Based Carers (HBCs) on the use of the FINDRISC tool to assess diabetes mellitus (DM) patients at Ga-Dikgale Village, South Africa. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive cross–sectional design has been used to describe knowledge and practices of HBCs in using FINDRISC tool to assess the Diabetes Mellitus patient at the Dikgale village. Fifty two (52) HBCs have been assessed and homogeneous purposive convenience sampling has been used. A modified (tool) has been used by the HBCs to assess the risk status of people to determine diabetes risk status while the researcher scored the HBCs on the utilisation of modified FINDRISC tool after they have demonstrated all sections of the risk assessment tool. Data analysis has been done using (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) IBM ABSTRACT vii SPSS version 24 software and Microsoft excel sheet. Results: This study has found that HBCs can play in important role in the assessment of patients at risk of developing diabetes in the communities by using the assessment tool. The knowledge and skills of the HBCs that have been acquired throughout the years can be augmented by strengthening the primary health care re-engineering programme and in-service training that can be tailored for proper functioning of the HBCs within the health care team. Conclusion and recommendation: The burden of DM can be alleviated through the use of FINDRISC tool by determining diabetes risk status and employ necessary precautions to assist people who are at risk. This study recommend that the FINDRISC tool be modified in order to be relevant to the African perspective by validating of the tool through taking blood samples from people who are at risk . Keywords: diabetes mellitus, home-based carers, Finnish diabetes risk score tool, feasibility, assessment of patients at risk.