[The relevance of a patient education programme for self-management of home peritoneal dialysis].

Introduction: Nursing care is an essential part of the management of patients undergoing home peritoneal dialysis. The institution of an educational pathway facilitates ease and safety of self-management of peritoneal dialysis (PD) procedures.
Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of a nurse-guided training programme for PD patients.
Patients and Methods: A questionnaire regarding quality of life was administered to patients undergoing PD at the Cardinal Massaia Hospital in Asti, Italy. The EQ-5D questionnaire was used with the adjunct of some study- specific questions. Prior research of relevant Pubmed references had also been performed.
Results and Discussion: Our data confirm other works in the literature emphasising the central role of nurses during educational processes involving PD patients. The quality of life of these patients improved notably when compared to controls who had not followed an education programme. In fact, a higher average quality of life was reported by patients enrolled in our study when compared to that found in other studies. Nurses involved in our PD educational programme follow international guideline sources.
Conclusion: Patient education is a fundamental and on-going part of the process of nursing care and contributes to the well-being, safety, independence and compliance of patients undergoing PD at home.