March 4, 2005
View Full PaperPSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: Frequent Hemodialysis and Psychosocial Function
Key Result
Frequent hemodialysis may improve global health-related quality of life and psychosocial burden, though current literature is restricted by limitations in study design and generalizability.
Structured PICO
Does frequent hemodialysis improve psychosocial and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease?
P
Population
Patients with chronic kidney disease
I
Intervention
Frequent hemodialysis (short daily and long nocturnal dialysis)
O
Outcome
Psychosocial and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) effectspatient reported
Frequent hemodialysis may improve health-related quality of life and psychosocial burden in CKD patients, though current evidence is limited by study design.
Limitations
- Limitations in study design
- Limitations in follow-up
- Limitations in generalizability
Abstract
Studies suggest that more frequent hemodialysis (HD; short daily and long nocturnal dialysis) may be associated with a variety of clinical benefits, including improvement in blood pressure, anemia, and hyperphosphatemia, regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, and reduced rates of hospitalization. Whether these clinical benefits are paralleled by improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been unclear. In addition, the psychosocial burden of more intensive HD schedules has not been critically evaluated. Recent reports have suggested beneficial effects of frequent HD on global HRQOL, dialysis-related and uremic symptoms, patient satisfaction, and psychosocial burden. However, the interpretation of many of these studies is restricted by limitations in study design, follow-up, and generalizability. This article reviews the current literature focusing on psychosocial and HRQOL effects of frequent HD and suggests future directions for research in this important area.