An Empowerment program to improve self-management in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the impact of an empowerment program on the self-management, self-efficacy, and quality of life on patients in stages 2~4 of chronic kidney disease that exhibited poor self-management. Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design and was carried out from March to September 2014. Participants were assigned conveniently to the experimental (n=26) and the control group (n=27). The empowerment program for the experimental group included two sessions of disease management education, four small group discussions, and four telephone counseling sessions over a three-month period. It was conducted in the context of a self-regulatory process and designed to promote self-management and problem-solving skills. The control group received usual care. The outcome variables were obtained using questionnaires before and after the intervention in both groups. The self-management score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group at the baseline, so it was set as covariate and analyzed by analysis of covariance. Results: There was a significant improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group in terms of their pre-to post-intervention changes in overall self-management (F=9.21, p=.004), self-efficacy (F=5.81, p=.020), and quality of life. Conclusion: The present empowerment program was found to be appropriate for patients with poor self-management. It led to an improvement in the study outcomes in the short-term. The empowerment of patients with renal insufficiency should be considered to prevent the aggravation of their health-related problems and quality of life. © 2018 Korean Society of Adult Nursing.