Additional benefit of dietitian involvement in dialysis staffs-led diet education on uncontrolled hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients

Background Sustained adherence to dietary phosphorus (P) restriction recommendations among hemodialysis patients is questionable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of additional diet education delivered by a dietitian on the control of hyperphosphatemia. Methods We conducted an 8-month prospective observational study in hemodialysis patients who had uncontrolled hyperphosphatemia. In the first half of the study (experimental) period, the dialysis nurses and physicians provided the routine dietetic education with the control group ( n = 31), while the experimental group ( n = 30) received the routine dietetic education plus an additional diet education delivered by dietitians. Both groups received the routine dietetic education in the rest of the study period to test whether the improvement of serum P level was sustained. The primary outcomes were changes in serum P level. Results At baseline, there was no significant difference in serum P levels between groups ( P = 0.27). In the experimental period, monthly serum P levels decreased significantly in both groups ( P