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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosis is often associated with stress, depression, and major lifestyle changes. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore patients' experiences of living with CKD. A non-random purposeful sampling strategy was used to recruit 10 patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis, from a tertiary care hospital in Crete, Greece. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with open-ended questions aiming to assess different aspects of their life after CKD diagnosis. Four main themes were revealed portraying participants' experience, including facing a new reality, 2) confronting changes, 3) finding ways to cope, and 4) continuing life.
Key Words:
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), hemodialysis, patients' experiences, CKD diagnosis, qualitative study.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major contributor of morbidity and mortality worldwide, endangers patients' physical health, and often seriously affects their daily life, causing significant changes on both an emotional and a psychological level. This disease is a major global public health threat, while the number of patients with CKD is constantly increasing (Kefale et al., 2019; Oh et al., 2019; Sanyaolu et al., 2018; Wu et al., 2016).
CKD therapy focuses on the preservation of renal function by means of dialysis, as well as the treatment and prevention of complications, including monitoring and management of arterial blood pressure and glycemic control, mainly through dietary and lifestyle modifications (Bellizzi et al., 2017). Hemodialysis consists of a life-extending treatment for patients with CKD, and a particularly arduous process for patients and their families. The treatment is time-consuming, raising issues for travelling to and from the dialysis centre, intra- and post-dialysis complications, demanding significant dietary changes, and frequent monitoring of fluid balance, while involving a particularly high consumption of medications in comparison to other chronic diseases (Da Silva-Gane & Farrington, 2014). The multidimensional therapeutic aims, involving one of the highest medication burdens of any chronic disease (Wu et al., 2016), place many demands on patients with CKD that give rise to a uniquely structured behavior presenting common characteristics, while treatment non-adherence remains elevated (Vélez-Vélez, & Bosch, 2016).
A study by Tsai and colleagues (2012) found that patients with CKD on hemodialysis who showed high depressive symptoms presented more rapid kidney function decrease and demanded more frequent hospitalizations, while experiencing increased comorbidity. According to the literature,...