Abstract: 【Abstract】Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of group visits on fluid status in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods One hundred and twenty PD patients were randomly and equally assigned into two groups. Patients in experimental group received group visits and routine health care, while those in control group only received routine health care. Their fluid status was compared before intervention and after intervention for 3 months. Results Before intervention, there were no significant differences in blood pressure, dialysis dose, urine volume, ultrafiltration volume, glucose concentration in dialysate, body weight, fluid intake, serum creatinine, serum protein and edema in lower extremities between the two groups. After intervention, patients in the experimental group had lower systolic blood pressure (t=2.650, P=0.01), less fluid intake (z=-2.140, P=0.032) and fewer extremity edema (c2=10.985, P=0.012) as compared with the control group. Conclusion The group visits program is an effective model to improve volume status, to promote communication with medical staffs, and to increase the compliance with water and salt management in PD patients. It is a valuable management model for chronic diseases to be used in clinical practice.

Key words: Group Visits, Peritoneal Dialysis, Fluid Status