Development and Pilot Application of a Solution-Focused Intervention for Social Isolation in Elderly Diabetic Foot Patients

August 23, 2026 updated by: Song Junnan, Anhui Medical University

Construction and Preliminary Application of a Solution-Focused Model-Based Intervention Program for Social Isolation in Elderly Patients With Diabetic Foot Ulcers

The goal of this interventional study is to develop and preliminarily evaluate a solution-focused model-based intervention program for reducing social isolation in elderly patients with diabetic foot ulcers. It will also learn about the feasibility and safety of the intervention program. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the solution-focused intervention program effectively reduce social isolation levels in elderly patients with diabetic foot ulcers?

What effects does the intervention have on patients' foot self-care behaviors, social participation, social support, depressive symptoms, and glycemic control?

Researchers will compare an intervention group (receiving the solution-focused intervention combined with routine nursing care) to a control group (receiving routine nursing care only) to see if the intervention program works to alleviate social isolation in this population.

Participants will:

Complete a set of validated questionnaires (including assessments of social isolation, foot self-care behaviors, social support, social participation, and depressive symptoms) and undergo fasting blood glucose measurement at four time points: baseline, after 3 intervention sessions, at intervention completion, and 1-month post-intervention

Attend 5 weekly sessions (0.5 -1 hours each) of the solution-focused intervention program, which follows five core steps: problem description, goal setting, exception exploration, feedback, and progress evaluation (intervention group only)

Receive routine nursing care including blood glucose monitoring, dietary management, medication guidance, psychological support, and activity instructions (both groups)

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
70

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Meet the current Chinese criteria for older adults, aged ≥60 years;

    (2) Clinically diagnosed with diabetic foot (DF);

    (3) Voluntarily agree to participate in this study after being informed of the study purpose by the researcher.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Severe cognitive impairment or mental disorders: patients definitively diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, senile dementia, or severe depression by a Class II-A or higher hospital; or those with a score below 9 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) indicating severe cognitive impairment;

    (2) Severe communication impairment: patients unable to communicate normally with others due to hearing impairment, speech impairment, or other related conditions;

    (3) Patients unable to complete the questionnaire survey for any reason;

    (4) Patients currently participating in other trials that may affect the results of this study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Control Group
Other: Intervention Group
Other: Intervention Group

Researchers will compare an intervention group (receiving the solution-focused intervention plus routine care) to a control group (receiving routine care only).

Participants will complete validated questionnaires (LSNS-6, NAFF, SSRS, IPA, CES-D-10) and undergo fasting blood glucose measurement at four time points: baseline, after 3 sessions, at intervention completion, and 1-month post-intervention. The intervention group will attend 5 weekly sessions (1-1.5 hours each) following five core steps: problem description, goal setting, exception exploration, feedback, and progress evaluation. Both groups receive routine care including blood glucose monitoring, dietary management, medication guidance, psychological support, and activity instructions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Level of Social Isolation
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks
Measured by the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) , an abbreviated version of the original Lubben Social Network Scale developed by Lubben et al. The LSNS-6 assesses social network status from two dimensions: family network (3 items) and friend network (3 items), totaling 6 items. Each item is rated on a 6-point Likert scale (0 = none, 1 = one, 2 = two, 3 = three to four, 4 = five to eight, 5 = nine or more). Total scores range from 0 to 30. A total score <12 indicates social isolation. Family network score <6 indicates family network isolation, and friend network score <6 indicates friend network isolation. The Chinese version has demonstrated adequate internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.832.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Social support level
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Social support level measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). The MOS-SSS contains 19 items across four dimensions: emotional/informational support (8 items), tangible support (4 items), affectionate support (3 items), and positive social interaction (4 items). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=none of the time, 5=all of the time). Total scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better social support. The Chinese version has demonstrated good reliability and validity, with a Cronbach's α of 0.91.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Social participation level
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Social participation level measured by the Social Participation Scale. This scale assesses the frequency and diversity of social activities across multiple domains, including family interactions, community activities, and social gatherings. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=never, 5=very often). Higher total scores indicate a higher level of social participation. The scale has been validated in older adult populations with chronic diseases, demonstrating satisfactory psychometric properties with a Cronbach's α of 0.85.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Depressive symptoms
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 consists of 9 items corresponding to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0=not at all, 1=several days, 2=more than half the days, 3=nearly every day) based on symptom frequency over the past two weeks. Total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms (0-5 minimal, 6-10 mild, 11-15 moderate, 16-20 moderately severe, 21-27 severe). Cronbach's α=0.89.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Glycemic control (fasting blood glucose)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Glycemic control measured by fasting blood glucose (FBG) in millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Venous blood samples are collected after an 8-hour overnight fast and analyzed using the standardized glucose oxidase method. Lower FBG values indicate better glycemic control. According to the Chinese Diabetes Society guidelines, normal FBG is 3.9-6.1 mmol/L. This objective biomarker provides a reliable assessment of short-term glycemic status.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Diabetic foot self-care behaviors
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.
Diabetic foot self-care behaviors measured by the Diabetic Foot Self-Care Behavior Scale. This scale evaluates patients' adherence to recommended foot care practices, including daily foot inspection, proper washing and drying, moisturizing, nail care, appropriate footwear selection, and avoiding barefoot walking. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=never, 5=always). Higher total scores indicate better adherence to diabetic foot self-care behaviors. The scale has shown good reliability with a Cronbach's α of 0.88.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Anhui Medical University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 27, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 81250948

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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