The Missouri Kidney Program's Patient Education Program: a 12-year retrospective analysis

Unbiased patient education for individuals with chronic kidney disease can result in a multitude of positive benefits. The current study reviewed 1,844 participants in a six-topic patient education program over a 12-year period from June 1994 to July 2006, examining patients' level of knowledge about CKD, preferences for treatment, and feelings of hope and fear before and after the educational intervention. After the educational intervention, patients scored significantly higher on knowledge tests of all topics than they scored on the pre-test (p < .05). Overall, there were no significant differences from pre- to post-test on self-ratings of being "scared" or "hopeful," although on the post-test, females were significantly more hopeful than males (p < .01). More patients were interested in peritoneal dialysis as a treatment option after class attendance (p < .001). Multivariate logistic regressions indicated that patients who were older, black, or who had a high school education or less were more likely to prefer center hemodialysis (p < .007). Although overall interest in the transplant option did not change significantly from pre- to post-test, younger patients (52 vs. 67 mean years, p < .001) and males (59% vs. 54%, p = .02) were more interested in receiving a transplant.