Project management topic:
I aim to create a project management proposal for haemodialysis patients. The main problem of focus for project management is the fluid overload and risk of dehydration in haemodialysis patient. Appropriate fluid management is the main aspect of treatment for such patient as fluid overload can lead to complicated issues like left ventricular hypertrophy and intradialytic adverse events (Dekker and Kooman 2018). Therefore, determination of hydration status is vital for all phase of treatment. Hence, it is proposed to resolve the challenge of maintaining adequate hydration status in patients by using the medical device called the body composition monitor (BCM). Health care professionals normally identified signs of over-hydration by means of symptoms like hypertension, respiratory problem and oedema. However, monitoring this symptom does not help control complication because these symptoms emerge only during extreme over-hydration. Hence, the main advantage of the BCM device is that it supports clinician to assess hydration status using a bioimpedance spectroscopy measurement of the body composition. Research evidence by Mamat et al. (2012) also revealed about the clinical utility of BCM in monitoring and managing overhydration in patients.
The main goal of the project management is to engage in optimal fluid management of haemodialysis patient and achieve normohydration. This is essential for optimal health and recovery of patient. By proposing selection of body composition monitor for dialysis patient, it gives health care professionals the advantage of assessing not only the hydration status but also the nutritional condition of patient. Nazar (2013) mentions that malnutrition is also a clinical problem for end-stage renal disease patients and managing nutritional status is important to achieve improvement not only in mortality outcome but as well as in quality of life. Hence, by discussion on the benefits of BMC in resolving the issue of overhydration in dialysis patient, the discussion justifies the need to do a project management on the topic with full detail about the scope, scheduling, procurement and risk management of the project.
Question to other students:
While proceeding with the project management for the introduction of BCM for hemodialysis patient, it is necessary to identify and analyze risk associated with the project. This helps in deciding the activities that would needed during the lifecycle of the project. However, one of the risk is that success use of the device is dependent on compliance to many operational responsibility elements. The manual for the device mentions many factors to be considered during the operability of the device. Hence, the question to other student is that ‘Can nurses and health staff follow the instruction and effectively operate the device without comprehensive training?
While engaging in project management for clinical issues faced by dialysis patient , one of the important thing to consider is the cost-effectiveness of the device. This would depend on considering the effect of the device on hospitalization rate and mortality outcomes too. Hence, my question to other student is ‘Do you believe that BCM can be applied for all types of patient irrespective of age differences?’.
References:
Dekker, M.J. and Kooman, J.P., 2018. Fluid status assessment in hemodialysis patients and the association with outcome: review of recent literature. Current opinion in nephrology and hypertension, 27(3), pp.188-193.
Mamat, R., Kong, N.C., Ba’in, A.Y., Shah, S.A., Cader, R., Wong, V., Mohd, R., Abdul Gafor, A.H. and Ismail, R., 2012. Assessment of body fluid status in hemodialysis patients using the body composition monitor measurement technique. Journal of clinical nursing, 21(19pt20), pp.2879-2885.
Nazar, C.M.J., 2013. Significance of diet in chronic kidney disease. Journal of nephropharmacology, 2(2), p.37.
