Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a personalised telehealth intervention to support dietary self-management in adults with stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD).
DESIGN
Mixed-methods process evaluation embedded in a randomised controlled trial.
PARTICIPANTS
People with stage 3-4 CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]15-60 mL/min/1.73 m2).
SETTING
Participants were recruited from three hospitals in Australia and completed the intervention in ambulatory community settings.
INTERVENTION
The intervention group received one telephone call per fortnight and 2-8 tailored text messages for 3 months, and then 4-12 tailored text messages for 3 months without telephone calls. The control group received usual care for 3 months then non-tailored education-only text messages for 3 months.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Feasibility (recruitment, non-participation and retention rates, intervention fidelity and participant adherence) and acceptability (questionnaire and semistructured interviews).
STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED
Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS
Overall, 80/230 (35%) eligible patients who were approached consented to participate (mean±SD age 61.5±12.6 years). Retention was 93% and 98% in the intervention and control groups, respectively, and 96% of all planned intervention calls were completed. All participants in the intervention arm identified the tailored text messages as useful in supporting dietary self-management. In the control group, 27 (69%) reported the non-tailored text messages were useful in supporting change. Intervention group participants reported that the telehealth programme delivery methods were practical and able to be integrated into their lifestyle. Participants viewed the intervention as an acceptable, personalised alternative to face-face clinic consultations, and were satisfied with the frequency of contact.
CONCLUSIONS
This telehealth-delivered dietary coaching programme is an acceptable intervention which appears feasible for supporting dietary self-management in stage 3-4 CKD. A larger-scale randomised controlled trial is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the coaching programme on clinical and patient-reported outcomes.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ACTRN12616001212448; Results.
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