This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Patient Education Programs are currently not a part of Nephrology Practices. To our knowledge, there is no patient education program that serves the needs of people who already have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and need more aggressive education and management to help them understand the disease process, make timely life style changes to slow down progression of their kidney disease or to prepare mentally and psychologically for possible kidney failure in future. To improve health outcomes, the patient has to make an investment in his/her health and play an active role in disease management. To become an active participant, the patient must first understand the disease and its sequela, and what he/she can do to maintain or slow down loss of kidney function. The present pilot study seeks to use a patient education handbook developed specifically for the CKD patient and to assess the impact of Formal Education Intervention on the CKD patient using the outcome measures of improvement in knowledge, compliance, and improvement in health. It is expected that the demonstration of a trend towards positive change from this intervention will encourage further studies in this area and, maybe, the establishment of CKD Patient Education Programs in Nephrology Practice in future. This in turn may eventually improve health outcomes and reduce mortality for both CKD and dialysis patients. The development of kidney disease affects not only the health, quality of life, and productivity of patients, it also puts a major financial burden on Medicare and other resources.
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