The experience of urgent dialysis patients with end-stage renal disease: A qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose Taiwan is among the countries with the highest global prevalence of chronic renal disease. However, when advised to undergo dialysis therapy, patients with end-stage renal disease often hesitate. Attitudes toward medication and Taiwanese cultures are the main reasons for this delay, and delay conditioning requires urgent dialysis. This study aimed to explore the experience of urgent dialysis patients with end-stage renal disease. Methods This study used a purposive sampling strategy with semi-structured interviews leading to in-depth interviews. Patients were recruited from the nephrology ward and hemodialysis center of a northern Taiwanese hospital. All participants were aged over 20 years with end-stage renal disease. Although advised by doctors to undergo dialysis, these patients delayed their treatment and later suffered severe complications. After emergency hospitalization, the patients’ condition improved. Data were analyzed by content analysis. Results Interviews with five participants suffering from end-stage renal disease identified six themes: “experiencing a sudden jolt,” “silent organ brings the most pain,” “feeling angry: why me?,” “facing a dilemma,” “taking risks,” and “facing consequences.” Conclusion These patients delayed their treatment and later suffered severe complications, even though doctors advised them to undergo dialysis. Health professionals play an important role in communication and coordination, assisting patients in coping with their situation. The analysis of the reasons for the delay in undergoing dialysis, therefore, should help health professionals provide proper guidance and care to patients who are faced with the decision to accept dialysis treatment.

The experience of social isolation in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis：A qualitative study

“…SI in PD patients can appear through self-emotional experiences as well as manifestations of social interaction status. The patients in this study typically generally had a negative emotional state, with low self-esteem and sensitivity towards their current situation, while still having fear and concern about the future.This is consistent with previous studies (19). After dialysis treatment, patients experienced a signi cant change in their own life, with a loss of free activities and a restricted life.…”

“Alive Day is the Day”: A Qualitative Study of Experiences of Learned Helplessness in Maintenance Haemodialysis Patients

“…“Why me” is a sign of helplessness and implies a sense of powerlessness in the face of fate. 61 Patients try to explain and cope with the disease through fatalism. This attribution style functions as a cultural resource to explain the helplessness of MHD patients and can help them alleviate that helplessness to some extent.…”

Dietary Management in Individuals With Serious Mental Illness and Comorbid Diabetes: A Focused Ethnography Study

“…When food is the medium through which individuals with T2DM socialize, their self-control is tested. Lin and Chu (2022) reported that Taiwanese patients struggle to restrain themselves from eating inappropriate foods when offered dishes at family gatherings. Ronne et al (2020) conducted a systematic review and revealed similar findings, discovering that food plays a central role in Asian cultures, leading people in these cultures to struggle to modify their conventional eating habits to manage diabetes.…”

“…However, a qualitative interview study in Taiwan revealed that, for patients with T2DM, the lack of obvious symptoms at the onset of their disease may lead them to neglect self-management of their condition. The patients in that study only recognized the potential effects of T2DM after developing renal failure requiring dialysis (Lin & Chu, 2022). This indicates that disease understanding affects patients' willingness to alter their lifestyle and perform self-care.…”