Objective: To examine the feasibility and efficacy of a staff-delivered motivational interviewing technique on treatment, diet, medication, and fluid adherence in adult patients receiving outpatient hemodialysis.
Design: A pre-post design was used for this pilot study.
Sample/setting: Twenty-nine participants were recruited from a non-profit, free-standing hemodialysis clinic in the central United States.
Methods: Prior to and after the three-month motivational interviewing intervention, three months of adherence data and the Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ) were collected.
Results: Motivational interviewing appeared to influence dialysis attendance, frequency of shortened treatments, and phosphorous and albumin levels favorably while less favorably impacting interdialytic weight gain. Changes in the HCCQ scores were not statistically significant from pre- to post-intervention, though the trend was in the direction of improvement in autonomy support, a main component of motivational interviewing. Patients and staff found the approach acceptable.
Conclusions: Motivational interviewing shows promise as an intervention to improve adherence in adults undergoing hemodialysis.