To discuss the effects of narrative medicine on diabetic foot knowledge level and metabolic parameters of patients with middle or high risks for diabetic foot.

We selected 90 patients with mid-and-high risks for diabetic foot who accorded with the inclusion criteria from October 2012 to May 2013. All patients were given a questionnaire about knowledge of diabetic foot to evaluate the degree of patients′ mastery level of diabetic foot knowledge and after routine education, patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group by random number table. The patients of control group received conventional education, while the patients of experimental group were intervened with narrative medicine education. We compared patient′s foot related knowledge level and metabolic parameters after 6 months.

A total of 87 patients completed the whole study. Forty-three patients were in the control group, and forty-four patients were in the experimental group. After interventions, patient′s systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, 2 h postprandial blood sugar, and glycosylated hemoglobin in the experimental group were lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). After interventions, the scores of the questionnaire were higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). After interventions, the basic information of diabetes knowledge, recognition of diabetic food, food nursing, correct knowledge of wearing shoes and socks, knowledge of avoiding food injuries, total score of food knowledge questionnaire in the experimental group were compared with those of control group with statistical significance (P<0.05).

Narrative medicine can improve middle or high risks diabetic foot patient′s foot related knowledge level and metabolic parameters.

Diabetic foot; Health education; Metabolism; Narrative medicine