Strengthening primary health care through FHN: randomized controlled trial on HbA1c reduction in middle aged women with T2DM in Iran

T2DM is a prevalent, non-communicable, and manageable disease worldwide. Patient empowerment in self-care and family support for self-management are crucial in controlling this condition. FHN aim to manage chronic diseases through a family centered approach by implementing necessary measures. This study employed a two-group, three stage clinical trial method, focusing on middle-aged women with T2DM from selected comprehensive health service centers in Isfahan. A total of 84 middle-aged women with T2DM were selected through systematic sampling and a random number table. The experimental group completed a consent form, a demographic questionnaire, and an Hba1c test before the intervention, and repeated the Hba1c test three months post-intervention. The intervention group underwent the FHN model intervention, conducted in three stages: providing services tailored to the patient's actual needs, coordinating the use of all available health service resources, and empowering the family. Independent t-tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance with LSD post hoc test were used to compare the groups, and data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 software. The findings indicated that the implementation of the FHN model significantly reduced the HbA1c score in the intervention group compared to the control group three months after the intervention (p<0.05). The results suggest that the FHN model is an effective, low-cost, and accessible approach for controlling Hba1c in patients with T2DM . The study was registered as a randomized controlled trial in the Clinical Trial Registration Center of Iran (Registration Date: 2023-07-26; Registration Number: IRCT20230522058256N1). https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/user/trial/68288/view.