Identification of unplanned activity in a regional home dialysis training unit

Aim: To investigate how much time was taken by unplanned activities within a home dialysis training centre.
Background: Training patients for home dialysis is frequently interrupted by unplanned events, which impact on home
training.

Method: This study was a quality improvement project conducted over a four-week period. Data was collected during this
period and included the number of telephone calls and unexpected visits from home dialysis patients into the home dialysis
training unit.

Results: Findings from the study reported a total of approximately 24.5 hours of staff time was taken for unplanned activities
during the four-week period of data collection. The unplanned activities included: technical troubleshooting; issues around fluid
management; medication prescriptions; and monthly blood forms.

Conclusion: Unplanned activities take a substantial amount of staff time and there are a range of potential changes to work
practices that may assist in minimising this unplanned activity. Reducing unplanned activity time would allow more time for
teaching patients the home dialysis procedure, resulting in reduced training times.