Development of a Home and Community-Based Self-Care Model for Delaying Chronic Kidney Disease among Diabetic Patients from Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

This action research aimed to: 1) study the situation and context of the actions taken to delay chronic kidney disease (CKD), 2) develop a self-care model at home and in community to delay CKD among diabetic patients, and 3) assess the model’s effectiveness after six months of trial of new model. The research instruments were a questionnaire and group discussion questions. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean, median, standard deviation, and t-test. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results were as follows.

1. Situations and contexts study showed that patients actually had a moderate knowledge and self-care behaviors on how to delay CKD.

2. The new and so-called "SELF CKD" model consisted of the seven following components: 1) S for self–care behaviors, 2) E for encourage, 3) L for learning materials, 4) F for facilitator, 5) C for community–based care, 6) K for knowledge, and 7) D for Delay CKD.

3. The model’s effectiveness found that satisfaction was at a high level. Patients from the experimental group had more knowledge of self-care (p<0.001), self-care behaviors (p < 0.001), and health perceptions for preventing CKD (p<0.001) than before using the model, and this, significantly. For the control group, the before and after variables were not different.

The need to develop guidelines for managing CKD in the community is obvious. Therefore, health nurses should create and promote engaging educational media so that people can get information and communicate easily with patients.

This new model can be applied as a guideline for health workers in healthcare institutions and communities, so to promote self-care behaviors for delaying CKD in diabetic patients.