Participant Experiences in a Kidney Failure Care Intervention in the Navigate-Kidney Study

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Public Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Latino individuals with kidney failure on dialysis face significant social challenges impacting self-management.
• The Navigate-Kidney trial utilized community health workers (CHWs) to support this population.
• Previous findings indicated a decrease in interdialytic weight gain among intervention recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore participant experiences within the Navigate-Kidney intervention.
• To understand how the CHW intervention was perceived by Latino patients undergoing dialysis.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study employing semistructured interviews with 24 Latino participants in the Navigate-Kidney trial.
• Interviews were conducted in Denver, Colorado, between November 2020 and August 2022.
• Data analysis involved deductive thematic analysis of deidentified transcripts.

Main Results:

• Key themes included building trust via personalized connection and reliability.
• Participants highlighted CHW support in navigating social determinants of health (insurance, food security, administrative tasks).
• Culturally and linguistically tailored education and enhanced self-management capabilities were also prominent themes.

Conclusions:

• Participant experiences underscore the value of CHWs in fostering trust and overcoming barriers for dialysis patients.
• The intervention effectively provided patient-centered education and empowered individuals in managing their kidney disease.
• Understanding these perspectives is crucial for refining and scaling similar interventions for improved patient outcomes.