Project Title

Development of an arts-based intervention for patients with end-stage kidney disease receiving haemodialysis: a feasibility randomised controlled trial

Research Focus

Art, Feasibility studies, Kidney failure, chronic, Randomised controlled trials as topic, Renal dialysis

Funder & Dates

Department for the Economy (DfE)

2017-2020

Principal Investigator or Primary Supervisor (if PhD project)

Dr Helen Noble

Co-Investigators or additional supervisors

Professor Joanne Reid; Mr Ian Walsh

Research Fellow(s) or PhD Student

Claire Carswell

Name & Institution of Collaborators

Antrim Area Hospital renal unit

Name of External Partner Organisations

Description of Project:

Aim; Methods; Expected Outcomes

Background: End-stage kidney disease is a life-changing illness. Many patients require haemodialysis, a treatment

that impacts profoundly on quality of life and mental health. Arts-based interventions have been used in other

healthcare settings to improve mental health and quality of life; therefore, they may help address the impact of

haemodialysis by improving these outcomes. However, there is a lack of evidence assessing their effectiveness in

this population and few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness of complex arts-based interventions.

Methods: The aims of this study are to establish the feasibility of a cluster RCT of an arts-based intervention for

patients with end-stage kidney disease whilst receiving haemodialysis through a cluster randomised pilot study,

explore the acceptability of the intervention with a process evaluation and explore the feasibility of an economic

evaluation. The study will have three phases. The first phase consists of a cluster randomised pilot study to establish

recruitment, participation and retention rates. This will involve the recruitment of 30 participants who will be

randomly allocated through cluster randomisation according to shift pattern to experimental and control group.

The second phase will be a qualitative process evaluation to establish the acceptability of the intervention within a

clinical setting. This will involve semi-structured interviews with 13 patients and three focus groups with healthcare

professionals. The third phase will be a feasibility economic evaluation to establish the best methods for data

collection within a future cluster RCT.

Discussion: Arts-based interventions have been shown to improve quality of life in healthcare settings, but there is

a lack of evidence evaluating arts-based interventions for patients receiving haemodialysis. This study aims to assess

the feasibility of a future cluster RCT assessing the impact of an arts-based intervention on the wellbeing and

mental health of patients receiving haemodialysis and identify the key factors leading to successful implementation.

The hope is this study will inform a trial that can influence future healthcare policy by providing robust evidence

for arts-based interventions within the haemodialysis setting.

Add links/URLs to external pages, e.g., study webpage, reports, publications etc.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/health/northern-ireland-patients-on-how-getting-to-art-of-the-matter-helped-them-cope-with-dialysis-37993451.html

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofNursingandMidwifery/News/JointheRenalArtsGroupforTheArtofHealthandWellbeing.html

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofNursingandMidwifery/News/Archive/DrNobleandClaireCarswellrepresentedSchoolatthe47thEDTAconference.html

Any other relevant information

 Trial registration: The trial was prospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov on 14/8/2018, registration number NCT03629496