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The Feasibility of Integrating a Home Telehealth Model for Older Persons Living
with Hemodialysis

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W. Pungchompoo, S. Parinyachitta, S. Pungchompoo, W. Udomkhwamsuk, and P. Suwan 5
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Department of Medical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, Department
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of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, Department of Industrial and
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Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, Department
of Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, and Department of Medicine,
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Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

Background: In Thailand, there is a rapidly increasing population of older persons living with
hemodialysis (OPLWH) for whom quality of life and clinical outcomes are their main focus.

Objective: This study aims to assess the feasibility of an integrated home telehealth model on quality
of life and laboratory parameters of OPLWH.

Methods: In this study, the second phase of a mixed methods exploratory sequential design was
Oral Presentation Abstracts
conducted using a repeated measures experimental design. Participants met the inclusion criteria,
which included being OPLWH at a single hemodialysis center in Thailand, during the period between 1
April and 30 September 2018. The 54 participants were purposively selected and randomly assigned
to receive either an intervention (n = 24) consisting of health education and health monitoring using
a telehealth device (an iPad) and a web application, or usual care (n = 30). The instruments included
a demographic data form, which was analyzed using the chi-square test. The health-related quality
of life questionnaire (the 9-item Thai Health Status Assessment questionnaire) and blood chemistry
(BUN, Cr, Hb, Hct, Alb, K, Kt/V, and nPCR) were compared and measured at baseline, and at 3 and 6
months after enrolment using independent t-test and one-way repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: The comparison of quality of life between the two groups at the two points of repeated
measurement (after 3 months) showed a statistically significant difference in mental health scores at
P < 0.05. Six months after the intervention, mean scores for health outcomes and patients’ quality of life
improved; however, this change did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion: An integrated home telehealth model implemented by a hemodialysis nurse is a feasible
holistic care approach for OPLWH. Large-scale multi-centre trials are warranted to fully examine
the acceptability of the model. The duration and long-term effects of the telehealth model are also
recommended for further investigation.

Keywords: older persons, hemodialysis, home telehealth model

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Correspondence: Wanicha Pungchompoo, Department of Medical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing,
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
E-mail: wanicha.p@cmu.ac.th

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