Predialysis education helps patients choose dialysis modality and increases disease-specific knowledge

The aims of this study were first, to evaluate the effects of a patient-edu cation programme for a group of 28 uraemic patients (the Experimental (EG) group) with regard to their knowledge and perceived amount of information a nd to relate these effects to their sense of coherence and secondly, to stu dy the patients' perception of their dialysis treatment. The results were c ompared with a comparison group (the Companion (CG) group, n = 28) which ha d received routine information only. The education programme seemed to have covered what the EG wanted to know. Significantly more patients in the EG group stated that they had acquired sufficient knowledge to enable them to participate in choosing dialysis modality compared with the CG group. The E G patients were significantly more informed in the post-educational evaluat ion compared with the pre-educational evaluation. In the EG, there was a si gnificant relationship between the scores for knowledge and perceived amoun t of information, Men and younger patients perceived that they had received a greater amount of information than women and older patients. After havin g started dialysis treatment, there were no differences in the scores for k nowledge and information between the EG and the CG. This indicates that oth er sources of knowledge and information were available to the CG patients. There was no significant correlation between the score of the Sense of Cohe rence (SOC) scale and the knowledge and information scores. Kidney transpla ntation, progression of renal failure, other patients' experiences of dialy sis, dependence - independence, present and future wellbeing, how to cope w ith physical and psyche-social demands and continuity in their contacts wit h doctors and other health professionals were predominant concerns for the two groups of patients. Conclusion: the predialysis group education program me enabled patients to choose dialysis modality to achieve an understanding of their illness and its treatment. It also provided the possibility of in formal support by fellow patients and health professionals. The study empha sizes the special needs of elderly patients and we recommend that education programmes are tailored to their requirements.