title: Supporting patient choice: an intervention to promote independent dialysis therapies.
abstract: Independent dialysis therapies are as effective as in-center therapies but cost only about half as much. This project incorporated a patient focus group to better understand patient perceptions and possible barriers related to choosing independent dialysis therapies. Focus group findings included hardship related to loss of kidney function, the need for support from healthcare professionals, the need for educational materials and recruitment strategies focused on the benefits of independent dialysis, the need for peer support to encourage choice of independent dialysis modality, and support for technical issues. Themes identified by the focus group were used to create two new education tools and a nurse-delivered education program for patients with CKD. Future evaluation will determine whether these efforts lead to an increase in selection of independent dialysis therapies.
authors.affiliation: Providence Healthcare, St. Paul's Hospital, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. bsondrup@providencehealth.bc.ca
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sondrup
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Copland
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trask
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D010358:Patient Participation; D006435:Renal Dialysis