Supporting dialysis patients' self-management through a nurse-led program: a single-group pre- and post-test intervention.

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem in Vietnam, affecting approximately 10% of the population, many of whom require hemodialysis. There is a limited intervention to support these patients, so a brief self-management intervention using the teach-back method has been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of a health education program on hemodialysis patients.

METHODS

A single-group pre- & post-test intervention design was used to recruit 100 dialysis patients aged ≥ 18. The intervention involved face-to-face education using the teach-back method and a dialysis care booklet. Linear mixed-effect models assessed the usefulness of kidney disease knowledge, arteriovenous shunt self-care, and hemodialysis self-management behaviors at Week 0 (baseline) and Week 12.

RESULTS

All 100 participants (mean age = 43.8 years, 61% female) completed the study. After 12 weeks, significant improvements were observed in kidney disease knowledge, arteriovenous shunt self-care, and two self-management domains. However, problem-solving and emotional management domains did not significantly improve, warranting further educational content consolidation to improve these areas.

CONCLUSIONS

A brief and low-cost nurse-led self-management program successfully improves patients’ understanding of kidney disease and promotes self-management behaviors. Additional content focusing on problem-solving and emotional management is recommended to provide comprehensive support for individuals undergoing hemodialysis.