Investigating the Effect of a Structured Intervention on the Development of Self-Care Behaviors With Arteriovenous Fistula in Hemodialysis Patients

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a structured intervention on the frequency of self-care behaviors with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) by patients on hemodialysis. This is a quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-measurements. Participants were assigned to an intervention group (IG) (n=48) or to a control group (CG) (n=41). IG patients were subject to a structured intervention on self-care with AVF (SISC-AVF) consisting of both a theoretical and a practical part. After SISC-AVF application, patients in the IG showed better overall self-care behaviors with AVF than patients in the CG (79.2% and 91.4%, respectively, p<.001) as well as better self-care concerning both the management of signs and symptoms (90.1% and 94.4% respectively, p=.004) and the prevention of complications (72.7% and 89.5%, respectively, p<.001). The study results suggest that the SISC-AVF had positive effects on patients in the IG.