Facilitating behavioural change in renal patients

t is widely accepted that the management of chronic renal failure requires patients to make signifi cant alterations to their lifestyle and behaviour (Martino, 2011). Changes to diet, fl uid intake, and complex medication/dialysis routines prove challenging to even the most motivated of patients. Professionals working in renal services recognise that ‘telling’ patients what they need to be doing is simply not enough, but within the literature there is little guidance relating to how best to assist patients with these diffi cult changes. The issue of behaviour change in renal populations is an important one, because failure to make the necessary change is strongly associated with poor quality of life and increased morbidity, mortality and health care costs (Saran et al, 2003; Manley et al, 2010).Within the fi eld of health psychology exist a number of psychological models that attempt to explain and predict health and illness-related behaviour. This article seeks to explore how these models offer insight into behaviour change among renal patients. The article aims to explore the following psychological models: the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), the learned helplessness theory (Abramson et al, 1978) and the ‘transtheoretical/stages of change model’ (Prochaska and DiClemente, 1986). The authors also hope to offer some practical advice on how to utilise what these models tell us in our everyday interactions with renal patients.