Abstract
The Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Diary is a carefully adjusted patient education material used within renal care in Sweden. It is designed to promote the patient's disease-related knowledge, involvement and self-care ability and to promote the cooperation between patient and nurse. This quality improvement study aimed at evaluating the benefit of the CKD Diary. Questionnaires were answered by patients with CKD and nurses within renal outpatient clinics. The results showed that the CKD Diary was to a great part used at home by the patients and their families. The patients as well as the nurses considered the CKD Diary as a useful tool to promote disease-related knowledge, involvement and self-care. Further the nurses found the CKD Diary helpful in promoting cooperation between patient and nurse and it was also adopted in group education sessions. It is recommended that a diary designed as the CKD Diary, i.e. well adjusted to the targeted patient group and with a structured introduction and follow-up could be an applicable tool to promote diseases-related knowledge, self-care, behavioural changes and collaboration in any chronic disease.