The following is a summary of “Health related quality of life during dialysis modality transitions: a qualitative study,” published in the September 2023 issue of Nephrology by Dumaine et al.
Changing dialysis modalities is a significant life change that can impact a person’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Researchers performed a retrospective study to examine the HRQoL of adults who switched dialysis modalities to see how it was affected.
They recruited eligible adults (≥18) transitioning to dialysis from pre-dialysis or undergoing a dialysis modality change (July and September 2017). About 19 participants (9 incident and 10 prevalent dialysis patients) completed the KDQOL-36 survey at the time of transition and three months later. Fifteen participants underwent a semi-structured interview for three months. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and ideas in the qualitative data.
The results showed 4 themes and 5 sub-themes adapting to new circumstances (including tackling change and accepting change), adjusting together, trading off, and facing the challenges of chronicity (which included the impact of dialysis, living with a complex disease, and planning with uncertainty). From initiating dialysis treatment to the third month of new dialysis therapy, all 5 HRQoL domains measured by the KDQOL-36 (namely, symptoms, effects, burden, and overall PCS had improved.
They concluded that dialysis transitions reduce patients’ quality of life, and future investigations should focus on how to support them during this time best.
Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-023-03330-y