A Model for Promotion and Rehabilitation of Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients with Chronic Renal Disease

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop a model for promoting and rehabilitating renal function in patients with chronic renal disease. It was conducted as a quasi-experimental research. The samples were 30 patients with diabetes, hypertension and stage 3 chronic renal disease who voluntarily partic­ipated in the study aiming to modify health behavior to prevent deterioration of the renal function. The intervention measures included health education on kidney disease, drug use, herbal use, food consump­tion, and exercise; listening to the experiences of patients undergoing renal dialysis; home visiting by a multidisciplinary team; monitoring of patient food items; and group discussions. Evaluation of the study outcomes was performed by comparing knowledge of health behavior and the estimated glomerular fil­tration rate (eGFR) before and after the experiment. It was found that after the interventions, the patients had significantly increased knowledge of health behavior and better eGFR than before the experiment (p<0.05). Fourteen patients (46.67%) had their disease staging improved to stage 2. Thus, the promo­tion and rehabilitation model could improve renal function in chronic renal disease patients. They were found to have better knowledge and understanding of proper self-care and practice. This approach should be promoted and disseminated to other groups of patients to modify their health behaviors which would result in better health.