Online PhD conferral mrs. Cosette Fakih el Khoury, MSc.

Key words: mHealth, diet, dietary mobile apps, haemodialysis, chronic kidney disease

"An mHealth intervention for the dietary management of hemodialysis patients"

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a global health burden that is on the rise. The management of this condition necessitates a high level of involvement and self-management by patients. Many dietary restrictions are imposed on patients as part of the treatment and compliance to the diet is often particularly challenging. The rapid adoption of technological advancements globally provides an opportunity for healthcare practitioners to support patients with tools that can deliver care remotely. The experiments in this thesis explored the scientific evidence available on the efficacy of dietary mobile apps, and then proceeded to develop an Arabic self-monitoring and educational dietary app for hemodialysis patients in the United Arab Emirates (KELA.AE). The app was then pilot tested for its feasibility and was found to feasible as a supportive tool for the dietary management patients on haemodialysis.