Self-Care Education Program as a New Pathway Toward Improving Quality of Life in Kidney Transplant Patients: A Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Objectives: Despite the benefits of kidney transplant,
kidney recipients are confronting many challenges
that affect the quality of their lives. Implementation of
the most effective self-care education program based
on the needs of patients may address these challenges
and improve their quality of life. This study aimed to
determine the effects of a self-care education program
on the quality of life in kidney transplant patients.
Materials and Methods: In this single-blind, rando -
mized, controlled trial, 59 patients who met inclusion
criteria were selected using a convenience sampling
technique. Patients were randomly allocated into
intervention (n = 29) and control (n = 30) groups. The
intervention group received a bedside self-care
education program in 3 sessions. The control group
only received routine care. Data were collected by
demographic and kidney transplant questionnaires
before and after the intervention. Measuring the mean
score of quality of life was the primary outcome in this
study. We used descriptive and inferential statistics to
analyze the data.
Results: A significant difference was observed in the
mean score of quality of life between both groups
after intervention (P < .001). The mean score of quality
of life increased significantly in the intervention group
after the self-care education program (P < .001).
Conclusions: A self-care education program is a more
effective approach to improve the knowledge and
skills of transplant patients. Thus, we suggest an
emphasis on teaching self-care knowledge and skills
for transplant patients in nursing care education
programs. This can ultimately lead to quality of life
improvement in kidney transplant patients