Comparing the Effect of Two Educational Programs on the Quality of Life of Hemodialysis Patients in Iran

BACKGROUND Various researchers have shown that the health level, performance status, and quality of life (QOL) are often less than expected especially in hemodialysis (HD) patients. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the effect of the two methods of educational programs on health- related QOL (HRQOL) in Iranian HD patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest interventional study, we employed each subject as his/her own control. The study was conducted at the dialysis units in three major general hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. A total of 90 HD patients were randomly allocated to two 45-patient groups of oral and video education programs, respectively. The educational programs included dietary and fluid regimens, the care of fistula and skin, and stress management. HRQOL was assessed in both groups using a Farsi version of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) before and after the educational programs. Repeated measures analysis of variance and ANOVA were used for data analysis through SPSS. RESULTS SF-36 domains of physical functioning (P < 0.021), role physical (P < 0.031), social functioning (P < 0.001) and mental health (P < 0.001) were significantly increased in both oral and vide education groups after the interventions. There was no difference in the effectiveness of the two educational programs. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate interventions may potentially lead to improvement in the HRQOL of these patients. Therefore, video education as an effective, inexpensive, simple, and attractive method is recommended for HD patients.