Symptom Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis in China

OBJECTIVE This descriptive correlational study aimed to identify the top three contributors to symptom burden and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to examine the relationship between the top three symptom burdens and HRQOL among patients undergoing hemodialy-sis (HD) in the People’s Republic of China.METHODS Purposive sampling of 142 patients from 2 hospitals receiving HD was done. Instruments included demographic data form, Dialysis Frequency Severity, Symptom Burden Index, and Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36. Data were analyzed using descriptive statis-tics and Spearman rank-order.RESULTS The top three symptom burden items were feeling tired, itching, and having trouble staying asleep. The mean scores were 8.80 ± 2.67, 6.42 ± 3.17, and 5.94 ± 4.20, respectively. The mean score for five subscales of HRQOL were symptoms/problems with kidney disease 77.27 (SD = 10.37), impact of kidney disease 59.62 (SD = 11.18), burden of kidney disease 15.67 (SD = 15.29), physical component summary 30.15 (SD = 5.98), and mental component summary 40.29 (SD = 7.91). There was a negative relationship among the top three symptom burdens and HRQOL (rs = -0.26 -0.52, p < 0.01).CONCLUSIONS The findings provide clinical nurses in China with in-formation to develop more effective symptom management strategies which may help improve patients’ HRQOL.