Project Management Proposal: BCM for Fluid Balance in Haemodialysis

This discussion post presents a project management proposal focused on addressing fluid overload and dehydration risks in haemodialysis patients through the implementation of a Body Composition Monitor (BCM). The proposal highlights the importance of optimal fluid management for patient health, the advantages of using BCM for accurate hydration status assessment, and the clinical utility of BCM in monitoring and managing overhydration. It also raises questions for discussion regarding the operational challenges of using the device and its cost-effectiveness across different patient demographics, aiming to foster a comprehensive understanding of the project's scope, potential risks, and benefits in improving the quality of life for dialysis patients.

0Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

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Project management topic:
I aim to create a project management proposal for haemodialysis patients. The main
problem of focus for project management is the fluid overload and risk of dehydration in
haemodialysis patient. Appropriate fluid management is the main aspect of treatment for such
patient as fluid overload can lead to complicated issues like left ventricular hypertrophy and
intradialytic adverse events (Dekker and Kooman 2018). Therefore, determination of hydration
status is vital for all phase of treatment. Hence, it is proposed to resolve the challenge of
maintaining adequate hydration status in patients by using the medical device called the body
composition monitor (BCM). Health care professionals normally identified signs of over-
hydration by means of symptoms like hypertension, respiratory problem and oedema. However,
monitoring this symptom does not help control complication because these symptoms emerge
only during extreme over-hydration. Hence, the main advantage of the BCM device is that it
supports clinician to assess hydration status using a bioimpedance spectroscopy measurement of
the body composition. Research evidence by Mamat et al. (2012) also revealed about the clinical
utility of BCM in monitoring and managing overhydration in patients.
The main goal of the project management is to engage in optimal fluid management of
haemodialysis patient and achieve normohydration. This is essential for optimal health and
recovery of patient. By proposing selection of body composition monitor for dialysis patient, it
gives health care professionals the advantage of assessing not only the hydration status but also
the nutritional condition of patient. Nazar (2013) mentions that malnutrition is also a clinical
problem for end-stage renal disease patients and managing nutritional status is important to
achieve improvement not only in mortality outcome but as well as in quality of life. Hence, by

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discussion on the benefits of BMC in resolving the issue of overhydration in dialysis patient, the
discussion justifies the need to do a project management on the topic with full detail about the
scope, scheduling, procurement and risk management of the project.
Question to other students:
While proceeding with the project management for the introduction of BCM for
hemodialysis patient, it is necessary to identify and analyze risk associated with the project. This
helps in deciding the activities that would needed during the lifecycle of the project. However,
one of the risk is that success use of the device is dependent on compliance to many operational
responsibility elements. The manual for the device mentions many factors to be considered
during the operability of the device. Hence, the question to other student is that ‘Can nurses and
health staff follow the instruction and effectively operate the device without comprehensive
training?
While engaging in project management for clinical issues faced by dialysis patient , one
of the important thing to consider is the cost-effectiveness of the device. This would depend on
considering the effect of the device on hospitalization rate and mortality outcomes too. Hence,
my question to other student is ‘Do you believe that BCM can be applied for all types of patient
irrespective of age differences?’.

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References:
Dekker, M.J. and Kooman, J.P., 2018. Fluid status assessment in hemodialysis patients and the
association with outcome: review of recent literature. Current opinion in nephrology and
hypertension, 27(3), pp.188-193.
Mamat, R., Kong, N.C., Ba’in, A.Y., Shah, S.A., Cader, R., Wong, V., Mohd, R., Abdul Gafor,
A.H. and Ismail, R., 2012. Assessment of body fluid status in hemodialysis patients using the
body composition monitor measurement technique. Journal of clinical nursing, 21(19pt20),
pp.2879-2885.
Nazar, C.M.J., 2013. Significance of diet in chronic kidney disease. Journal of
nephropharmacology, 2(2), p.37.