Utilizing an Educational Patient Handout to Increase CKD Knowledge in Primary Care

Abstract

Purpose. This Nurse Practitioner (NP) Quality Improvement (QI) activity aims to improve Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) knowledge and awareness among adult patients with CKD, hypertension, and diabetes by utilizing an educational handout on CKD based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). Background. CKD is a significant public health issue in the United States (US), affecting 37 million Americans (Vassalotti & Boucree, 2022). It remains the ninth leading cause of death in the US. CKD can progress to End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), causing significant cardiovascular complications and early death, with substantial emotional and financial burdens to individuals and society (Mullins et al., 2022). Diabetes and hypertension are the leading causes of CKD. Effective management of CKD includes early detection and control of risk factors, for which many depend on primary care (Vassalotti & Boucree, 2022). Patient education improves CKD knowledge and self-management and can impact disease progression (Murphy et al., 2020). Methods. The investigator implemented the QI project at Optima Medical, which provides value-based primary care in Peoria, Arizona. The project utilized the Model for Improvement by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement for implementation. The investigator recruited participants (N=19) using convenience sampling and distributed an evidence-based handout on CKD. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys on CKD knowledge aligning with the HBM model. Results: 19 participants completed the pre-survey and post-survey. The investigator analyzed total survey scores and scores in HBM elements. The mean post-score improved by 5.2% (0.89 points) compared to the mean pre-score and was statistically significant (p = .003) Conclusion: The results show that HBM-based educational pamphlets improved CKD-related disease knowledge among the participants. However, the change in knowledge was only 5.2%. Further research and QI projects are needed on this topic to help determine best practices on early patient CKD education to improve overall CKD outcomes.