The effect of self-care educational program on decreasing the problems and improving the quality of life of dialysis patients

In patients who have a chronic disease such as end stage renal disease (ESRD) for which cure is not a realistic goal, improving performance and well-being of the patients should be regarded as primary objectives. However, the status of performance in the dialysis patients is lower than normal. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of self-care educational program on decreasing the problems and improving the quality of life of dialysis patients. This study was a Quasi-Experimental research in which pretest and posttest were designed for one group in the educational hospitals of Iran and Tehran medical science universities in 1383-1384. From 36 patients invited to participate in the study, 4 of them refused to cooperate. 32 patients took part in the study. The patients were chosen on the basis of a non-randomized sampling. Every patient was assessed two times in an interval of two weeks before starting dialysis by questionnaires about educational requirement, quality of life and by a checklist. In order to validate the results, the laboratory variables were analyzed on the average two months prior to the education. Then an educational program including existing problems was designed and the characteristics of every subject were determined and the required information was presented in two sessions. After the educational period, the laboratory variables and quality of life two months after education were evaluated and analyzed. Also the checklists were reviewed in two stages, two weeks apart (third and fifth weeks). The results of this study showed that there was a significant decrease in serum urea, s uric acid, s p, weight gain at intervals between dialyses, systolic blood pressure, edema, skin itching, local vascular problems with improvement of the quality of life. Performing the self-care educational program had a positive effect on decreasing the problems leading to improvement of the quality of life of dialysis patients.