A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Self-Management Education on Quality of Life Among Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Selected Hospitals

Abstract

Programs for disease-specific education have shown better results, despite the fact that people tend to forget knowledge fast or memorize it incorrectly. In an effort to reinforce patient education, the teach-back method was developed. There hasn’t yet been a systematic review of the data on the efficacy of health education using the teach-back method in better treatment.
Methodology: One-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. A six-week SME intervention (education sessions, handbook, and follow-up reinforcement) was given to fifty CKD patients (stages 3–5, not on dialysis or maintenance dialysis as per inclusion). A validated CKD-specific QoL scale (score range 0–100, higher indicating better QoL) was used to measure QoL both before and four weeks after the intervention. Pre and post scores were compared using a paired t-test with a significance level of p <0.05. The study was conducted at Nalamm Hospital on First Cross Street in M.K.B. Nagar, Chennai.
Results: Mean pre-intervention QoL = 56.40 (SD = 8.20). Mean post-intervention QoL = 68.90 (SD = 7.10). Mean difference = 12.50 (SD of differences = 6.00). Paired t(49) = 14.73, p < 0.001. Cohen’s d = 2.08 (very large effect). Improvements were observed across physical, social and psychological subdomains.
Conclusion: Patients with CKD experienced a statistically significant and clinically relevant increase in their quality of life as a result of the SME program. It is advised to incorporate SME into regular CKD care.