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How Can We Improve the Quality of Life of Dialysis Patients?
Author(s) -
Mitema Donald,
Jaar Bernard G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
seminars in dialysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1525-139X
pISSN - 0894-0959
DOI - 10.1111/sdi.12467
Subject(s) - medicine , life expectancy , quality of life (healthcare) , intensive care medicine , disease , dialysis , prioritization , population , health care , end stage renal disease , patient satisfaction , gerontology , nursing , psychiatry , environmental health , pathology , management science , economics , economic growth
As medical advances are made in the care of persons with chronic illnesses including those with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), patients are not only experiencing increasing life expectancy but also bearing the burden of illness and treatment for a longer duration of time. With this in mind, it is increasingly important for health care providers to pay close attention to their individual patient's perceptions of their health, fitness, life satisfaction, and well‐being. This assessment of Health‐Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) also includes an evaluation of the patient's level of satisfaction with treatment, outcome, and health status, also taking into account their perspective on future prospects. In addition to improving patient–provider communication by helping in the identification and prioritization of problems, it is important to note that high HRQOL has been shown to be associated with better medical outcomes, including reduction in hospitalizations and death. In this review, we outline several validated tools that are used to quantitatively measure HRQOL in the ESRD population and incorporate these instruments in a review of specific, evidence‐based measures by which we can measurably improve health‐related quality of life in dialysis patients.