A pilot randomised controlled trial of an energy management programme for adults on maintenance haemodialysis: the fatigue-HD study

Identifying interventions to reduce fatigue and improve life participation are top research priorities of people on maintenance haemodialysis.

Our primary objective was to explore the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial of an energy management programme for people on maintenance haemodialysis.

Parallel-arm, 1:1, blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial.

Participants were recruited from 6 dialysis units in Calgary, Canada. Eligible patients were on maintenance haemodialysis, clinically stable and reported disabling fatigue on the Fatigue Severity Scale items 5, 7, 8 and 9.

Participants were randomised using a computer-generated random number sequence according to permuted blocked randomisation, stratified by dialysis unit.

Participants were blinded to treatment allocation.

Participants received an attention control (general disease self-management education) or the Personal Energy Planning (PEP) programme, a tailored, web-supported 7-9 weeks energy management programme.

Eligibility, recruitment and attrition rates were recorded, and standardised intervention effects (Hedge's G) were calculated for fatigue and life participation questionnaires at one1-week postintervention and 12-week postintervention.

159 of 253 screened patients were eligible to be approached. 42 (26%) had fatigue, were interested and consented to participate, of whom 30 met eligibility criteria and were randomised (mean age 62.4 years (±14.7), 60% male). 22 enrolled participants (73%) completed all study procedures. Medium-sized intervention effects were observed on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)-Performance Scale, Global Life Participation Scale and Global Life Participation Satisfaction Scale at 1-week postintervention follow-up, compared with control. At 12-week follow-up, large and very large intervention effects were observed on the COPM-Performance Scale and COPM-Satisfaction Scale, respectively.

It is feasible to enrol and follow patients on haemodialysis in a randomised controlled trial of an energy management intervention. As the intervention was associated with improved life participation on some measures, a larger trial is justified.