PhD conferral Ms Rana Rizk, MSc.

Keywords: Hemodialysis, elevated serum phosphorus, nutrition education, cost-effectiveness, Lebanon.

Hemodialysis patients often suffer from elevated serum phosphorus, which is associated with negative health outcomes and a high cost for society. Our study was conducted in Lebanon. We found that one hemodialysis patient yearly costs society an average of $18,500, with 2.2% of that cost being spent on medications used to manage serum phosphorus. Our research found that, in comparison with the existing practice in Lebanon, intensive nutrition education is clinically effective in reducing serum phosphorus of the patients, while maintaining their nutritional status, and that this intervention may also be a cost-saving model of nutrition care among hemodialysis patients.