Impact of patient education on quality of life of hemodialysis patients: A prospective study

BACKGROUND: A six – month study was conducted in a Teritiary Care Hospital, Kerala, India examined the quality of life of hemodialysis in 54 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dialysis is a form of renal replacement therapy which the kidney’s role of filtration of blood is supplemented by an artificial equipment to remove excess water, solutes and toxins. Data were collected from patient records and interviews with patients or their caregivers.

METHODS: The study used the KDQOLSF -36 questionnaire to assess the quality of life in hemodialysis patients, covering aspects like physical functioning, pain and mental health.

RESULTS: The prevalence of hemodialysis was found in older age groups, with the highest percentage observed in the age >60 (53.70). The study found that most hemodialysis patients were male (72.2) and underwent hemodialysis twice a week (79.62%).  Common habits among CKD patients included alcoholism (31.48%) and smoking (11.11%). Hypertension (88.89%) and Diabetes mellites (55.56%) were prevalent comorbidities, with some patients also experiencing anemia (11.11%).

CONCLUSION: The results of this follow up showed a significant improvement in the scores across various domains compared to the baseline scores. This suggests that patient education can play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life for patients undergoing hemodialysis.