The PAINT Policy Brief has been co-created by patients, families, researchers, healthcare and arts practitioners with an interest in or personal experience of kidney disease. The policy brief addresses the profound impact of haemodialysis on the mental health of patients and advocates for arts activities as a way of managing the emotional challenges, and finding meaning and connection during treatment.

Recommendations include growing the evidence base to demonstrate the value of arts activities during renal treatment; identifying arts champions within renal settings; and further mapping of existing provision to build on what works and improve collaborations across the globe.

Background
The Renal Arts Group was established at Queen’s University Belfast in 2016. It is a collaboration between patients, carers, clinicians, academics and artists to develop a programme of research with the ultimate aim of improving the physical and psychological quality of life of those living with kidney disease.

The PAINT project was a multimethod international mapping exercise to identify the current provision of arts programmes for renal patients, co-produced with a consortium made up of members of the Renal Arts Group and project partners from Chong Hua Hospital, Philippines; Center for Arts and Health, University of Florida; Réalta, Developing Arts + Health in Ireland; and the World Health Organisation.

The PAINT Policy Brief was co-designed during two online workshops by the project’s key stakeholders and PPI members, including kidney patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, artists, arts facilitators and other members of the renal and arts in health communities.

The research paper A Multi-Method International Mapping Exercise of Arts Interventions in Renal Units: The PAINT Project was published in the Nephron Journal in 2024.

Further information on the research informing the policy brief can be found at
https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/renal-arts-group/Research/PAINTProject/

For information on the work of the Renal Arts Group visit
https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/renal-arts-group/

Access the Policy Brief

Publisher:
Renal Arts Group

Year:
2025

Context:
Policy, Renal Dialysis

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