Hemodialysis treatment non-adherence is a public health issue because of its association with excessive hospitalizations, high morbidity, mortality, and increased financial costs. Compared to whites, African Americans have a four-fold higher prevalence of end stage kidney disease (EKSD), higher non-adherence rates to hemodialysis, and higher odds of hospitalizations. Motivational interviewing, an evidence-based intervention that creates a bond between patients and providers, targets improvement in motivation-related psychosocial factors associated with adherence behaviors. Interventions for such factors are typically developed based on the dominant culture and may not be valid and generalizable to minority groups. Culturally tailored interventions lead to more durable change in African Americans yet there is a lack of studies testing the efficacy of such approaches to improve hemodialysis treatment adherence in African Americans. Use of culturally tailored motivational interviewing in African Americans with ESKD will promote health equity by improving dialysis treatment adherence, reducing hospitalizations, and enhancing other critical outcomes.

Our long-term goal is to establish culturally sensitive strategies and multi-level interactions to improve outcomes in kidney disease. The overall objective of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of a culturally tailored motivational interviewing intervention developed using a rigorous theoretical framework on improving hemodialysis treatment adherence in African Americans with ESKD. The central hypothesis is that culturally tailored motivational interviewing will lead to improved hemodialysis treatment adherence. We will test this hypothesis in the following Specific Aims in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) in African American patients with ESKD. Compared to usual dialysis care, we aim to: Evaluate the efficacy of 8 weeks of culturally tailored motivational interviewing (MoVE) on improving hemodialysis adherence at (1) 3 months, and (2) 6 months post-randomization. At the successful completion of the proposed research, the expected outcomes will include evidence of the efficacy of culturally tailored motivational interviewing on improving hemodialysis treatment adherence in African American patients with ESKD. The proposed research is innovative because of the novel application of a culturally tailored, evidence-based behavioral intervention developed using a rigorous theoretical network (PEN-3); the use of specifically-trained health coaches to optimize the intervention delivery; and the focus on understanding and overrepresented African American patients with ESKD to address the public health issue of hemodialysis treatment of non-adherence. Study results will provide a strong basis for conducting an effectiveness and implementation trial, which is expected to have a significant impact on hemodialysis adherence, hospitalizations, morbidity, and mortality. This research strongly aligns with NIDDK's mission to promote health equity by addressing health disparities in kidney disease.

Hemodialysis treatment non-adherence is an important modifiable contributor to end stage kidney disease (ESKD), with critical public health relevance to patients, providers, and health systems due to its association with excessive hospitalizations, exorbitant financial burden, and increase morbidity and mortality. Compared to Whites, African Americans ESKD patients have a four-fold higher ESKD prevalence, persistently higher hospitalization and rehospitalization risk, and higher rates of dialysis treatment non-adherence. The goals of this proposal are to: (1) evaluate the efficacy of culturally tailored motivational interviewing on improving hemodialysis treatment adherence in African Americans; (2) provide a strong basis for conducting a future effectiveness and implementation trial using evidence-based, culturally tailored motivational interviewing intervention to improve hemodialysis adherence, and reduce hospitalizations, morbidity, mortality, and exorbitant financial burden associated with dialysis treatment non-adherence; and (3) promote health equity by reducing existing health disparities and optimizing outcomes in ESKD.