Determining the Information Requirements of a Smartphone-Based Nutritional Education Application for Dialysis Patients
Keywords:
Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Needs Assessment, Application, Mobile PhoneAbstract
Introduction: Chronic kidney patients undergoing dialysis face numerous nutritional challenges. Nutritional education can significantly aid these patients in their self-care and improve health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the necessary educational content for designing a smartphone-based nutritional education application for dialysis patients.
Materials and Methods: This applied study was conducted using a descriptive method, after reviewing previous studies, a questionnaire was developed. This questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed by experts, included five section. The study population consisted of nephrology specialists and subspecialists, 18 of whom were randomly and purposefully selected from the nephrology clinics of hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences and Shahrekord. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and SPSS version 21 software.
Results: The educational content was included in five main section: the “Demographic Information” included age, history of kidney failure, cause of chronic kidney disease; the “Physical Parameters” included dry weight, pre-dialysis weight, BMI; the “Clinical Tests” included albumin, phosphorus, potassium tests; the “Vital Nutrients” included protein, sodium, milk and dairy products; and the “Food Groups” included meat and its substitutes, bread and cereals, and approved vegetables. The level of education and marital status from the demographic information section and height from the physical parameters section were not approved.
Conclusion: Given that the necessary requirements for designing a nutritional educational application specifically for hemodialysis patients have been accurately determined in collaboration with relevant experts, the design and implementation of a mobile application can play a significant role in raising patient awareness. This application, by providing personalized nutritional information, not only helps improve patients' quality of life but can also have a positive impact on their treatment process and better disease management.
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