Captivating a captive audience: a quality improvement project increasing participation in intradialytic exercise across five renal dialysis units

Lyndsey Abdulnassir, Sara Egas-Kitchener, Daniel Whibley, Tom Fynmore, Gareth D Jones

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Background. Benefits of exercise on dialysis (EOD) are well established, however, uptake in our local satellite haemodialysis units is low. The implications of the status quo are risks to treatment efficiency, equity and patient centredness in managing personal health risks. The current study aimed to identify and address barriers to exercise participation while on dialysis by substantiating local EOD risks, assigning context, implementing changes and evaluating their impact. Our primary objective was to increase the uptake of EOD across our five dialysis units.Methods. Semi-structured interview and questionnaire data from patients and nursing staff were used to inform a root-cause analysis of barriers to exercise participation while on dialysis. Intervention was subsequently designed and implemented by a senior physiotherapist. It consisted of patient and nursing staff education, equipment modification and introduction of patient motivation schemes.Results. Staff knowledge, patient motivation and equipment problems were the main barriers to EOD. A significant increase in the uptake of EOD from 23.3% pre-intervention to 74.3% post-intervention was achieved [χ2 (1, N = 174) = 44.18, P < 0.001].Conclusions. Barriers to EOD are challenging, but there is evidence that patients wish to participate and would benefit from doing so. The input of a physiotherapist in the dialysis units had a significant positive effect on the uptake of EOD. National guidelines should encourage dialysis units to include professional exercise provision in future service planning.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)516-523
Number of pages8
JournalClinical Kidney Journal
Volume10
Issue number4
Early online date15 Mar 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2017

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Anne Bisset-Smith, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, for her support in planning and undertaking the project; Siobhan Crichton, King’s College London, for her assistance with the statistical analyses and Dr Jacky Jones, Head of Physiotherapy Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, for reviewing the manuscript. Due acknowledgement is given to Ros Tibbles, Service Improvement Nurse, and Debra Mundle, Clinical Nurse Manager Satellite Haemodialysis, for their assistance in planning the project. In addition, we thank the staff and patients at all the dialysis units for their participation. This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Keywords

  • chronic kidney disease
  • dialysis
  • exercise
  • physical activity
  • quality of life
  • quality improvement

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