Effect of Consultation and Follow-up Phone Calls on Biochemical Indicators and Intradialytic Weight Gain in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the effect of consultation and follow-up phone calls on biochemical indicators and intradialytic weight gain (IWG) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of 86 patients undergoing hemodialysis in Iran. Patients were grouped through convenience sampling and randomly allocated into two groups. The experimental group had face-to-face consultations, and each patient was given a monthly diet. Next, over 12 weeks, we conducted 28 follow-up phone calls. In both groups, biochemical indicators and IWG were measured at baseline, and in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth weeks of the study. RESULTS: The results showed that calcium and IWG indices in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth week, and phosphorus and potassium and IWG indices in the eighth and twelfth weeks had statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.050). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, consultation and follow-up phone calls in hemodialysis patients result in improved biochemical indicators. Therefore, in patients undergoing hemodialysis, consultation and follow-up phone calls are recommended to improve patient’s biochemical indicators.