Educating Haemodialysis Patients on Vascular Access Care

Proper care of vascular access is critical to the success of long-term haemodialysis. This systematic review examined whether educational and behavioural interventions improve patients’ ability to manage their access and reduce complications.

Study Overview
The review included seven studies involving 540 adult haemodialysis patients, evaluating the impact of nurse-led programs using videos, booklets, counselling, and demonstrations on self-care, confidence, and outcomes.

Key Findings

• Most studies reported improvements in patient knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviour.
• Approaches varied significantly in content, delivery method, and follow-up.
• Co-designed interventions with patient input were limited but seen as a future direction.

Conclusion
Educational interventions are effective in improving vascular access self-care in haemodialysis patients. However, standardized, evidence-based programs—especially those co-designed with patients—are needed to ensure lasting impact.

Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jorc.70005 

Authors: Colette Wembenyui, Nicole Marsh, Emily Larsen, Ann Bonner