The Effect of the SMART Discharge Protocol on the Anxiety of Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcer is the most common cause of hospitalization in diabetic people, while one of the prominent sources of anxiety in patients is the time of discharge from the hospital.This study aimed to determine the effect of the SMART discharge protocol on the anxiety of diabetic foot ulcer patients.Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 50 patients with diabetic foot ulcers Were divided equally into two control (25 patients) and intervention (25 patients) groups, randomly and based on the Inclusion criteria.In the intervention group, the SMART discharge protocol was implemented from their admission to the day of discharge.The Demographic information questionnaire and Spielberger questionnaire were used to determine patients' anxiety.The data were analyzed at two descriptive and inferential levels.Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the mean score of anxiety for diabetic foot ulcer patients in the two groups before the intervention.In contrast, after the intervention, the mean anxiety score in the two groups showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0001).Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, it seems that the smart discharge protocol was effective in reducing the anxiety of diabetic foot ulcer patients.Therefore, it is recommended that nursing officials and managers implement this protocol.