Benefit of an Internet-Based Management System among Hemodialysis Patients at the Risk of Intradialytic Hypotension and Muscle Cramps: A Controlled before and after Study

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The purpose of this study was to observe the impact of an internet-based management system on the incidence of intradialytic hypotension (IDH) and muscle cramps in hemodialysis patients. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The patients, who underwent maintenance hemodialysis in the center from January 2018 to June 2020, were recruited and divided into the pre-intervention group (before operation of the internet-based hemodialysis management system, from January 2018 to December 2018) and intervention group (after operation of the system, from June 2019 to June 2020). The clinical outcomes were compared between groups. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The compound endpoint of >1 IDH or muscle cramps happened in 182 patients (61.7%) in the pre-intervention group and 99 participants (30.8%) in the intervention group (relative risk [RR] = 0.50 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42; 0.60]). IDH occurred in 122 patients (1–5 episodes in 47 patients, 6–10 episodes in 25 patients, and >10 episodes in 50 patients) and 33 patients (30 patients had 1–5 episodes and 3 patients had 6–10 episodes) before and after execution of the internet-based management system, respectively (RR = 0.25 [95% CI, 0.18; 0.35]). The incidence of muscle cramps was significantly decreased (RR = 0.57 [95% CI, 0.45; 0.73]) after the implementation of the system, and the number of patients with 6–10 episodes dropped from 10 to 1. Multivariate analyses also showed significantly lower RRs in the intervention group: 0.29 ([95% CI, 0.20; 0.41]) for IDH and 0.58 ([95% CI, 0.45; 0.74]) for muscle cramps. Compared with the pre-intervention, participants in the intervention group had a large improvement in self-management (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and self-efficacy (<i>p</i> < 0.001). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The study found that the internet-based hemodialysis management system was effective in reducing the IDH and muscle cramp events and improving self-management. It provided a significant implication for the development and application of internet-based programs in hemodialysis management.