Renal Dietetic Qualitative Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of perceptions and experiences of individuals undertaking peritoneal dialysis and their families* on receiving dietary advice * Support unit as defined by the individual
IRAS ID
129865
Contact name
Andrew Morris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust
Research summary
Kidney disease is increasing in the UK. If a person’s kidney function becomes very low then dialysis is required to keep the person alive. Peritoneal dialysis is an option and allows people to undertake dialysis in their own homes. There are 2 types. One option involves dialysis 4 times during the day; the other option is to be connected to a dialysis machine overnight whilst sleeping.
People undertaking peritoneal dialysis may have to follow a special diet together with dialysis. Dietary advice is given by a kidney dietitian when a person is training in hospital for their dialysis at home. This diet advice together with dialysis is to help prevent certain chemicals building up in the body making the person unwell. Contact details and written dietary information are given to the patients and their family member. Follow-up is arranged if required. Some patients find it difficult to follow this advice even when the dietitian takes into account the medication and the amount of dialysis a person is doing.
This study will investigate if this current way of working by kidney dietitians is appropriate for the patients and families needs to help manage the kidney disease.
Twelve patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and one family member from each patient will be invited to undergo a taped telephone interview. They will be asked to speak about their experiences of life undergoing dialysis in their own words and their experiences of receiving and following dietary advice and the service provided buy the kidney dietitians.
The results from the interview interpretations will help dietitians and other health professionals to better understand the patients and families lives and the current dietitian service offered, in order for them to best support patients with this long term condition.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/WM/0272
Date of REC Opinion
1 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion