The Effectiveness of Nutritional Monitoring by Text Message Reminders in Controlling Albumin Levels in Hemodialysis Patients

Background: One of the major problems contributing to hemodialysis failure is patient compliance. The support that can be given as a form of attention to patients can take the shape of continuous nutritional monitoring using a simple, effective, and efficient method, namely short message service (SMS) reminder. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of nutritional monitoring using SMS reminder in controlling albumin levels in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-post design with one control group, involving 30 participants recruited through purposive sampling technique. The inclusion criteria were being >18 years of age, willing to be a participant and follow the procedure, having a cell phone and being able to operate it, and being able to read and write. Patients with systemic edema and malignancy complications were excluded. The independent variable was nutritional monitoring by SMS reminder, while the dependent variable was albumin level. An independent t test was used to compare the mean changes in albumin level between the groups. Results: After the intervention, 100% of the participants in both groups had normal albumin levels. However, the mean change was significantly greater in the treatment group compared with the controls (0.87 mg/dL vs 0.57 mg/dL, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Nutritional monitoring by SMS reminder is effective in managing the albumin level of hemodialysis patients