Health-related wellbeing after implementing the conversation model positive health

Rationale: Recently there has been many criticism on the WHO definition of health. Diversity and complexity in healthcare is increasing and with them also patients expectancies (1). According to those recent change of health approach the Jeroen Bosch Hospital (JBZ) started a strategy project in changing health vision. No longer thinking about health as absence of diseases, but: “Health as the ability to adapt and to self-manage, in the face of social, physical and emotional challenges” (2). Recently, healthcare workers in JBZ started to work with the conversation model according to positive health in their conversations with patients, also at the outpatient clinic for dialysis treatment
Dialysis patients struggle with feelings of vulnerability and dependency on dialysis treatment and healthcare workers (6). Dialysis has impact on their personal identity, education, ambitions, employment capabilities, social activities and relationships (7). No research is done yet to the effects of using this positive health web model in conversations with dialysis patients en if it improves the experiences of their health. It is not yet obvious if this strategy makes any difference in experiencing health by patients.
Objective: Primary objective of this study is to investigate if patients feel better being heard after implementing the new conversation model based on Huber’s positive health (13).
Study design: This study is a prospective observational longitudinal cohort study, answering an empirical research question.
Study population: Patients with chronic kidney diseases who are receiving haemodialysis treatment in the outpatient dialysis clinic at Jeroen Bosch Hospital.
Intervention: Non interventional. Only questionnaires.
Main study parameters/endpoints: The overall aim of this study is to explore the association of using the positive health conversation model by healthcare workers and patients’ health-related wellbeing.
Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: Not applicable.

increasing health-related wellbeing after implementing positive health

The data collection will start in march 2019 and will be repeated every six months, in October 2019, May 2020 en the last collection in November 2020.