title: Starting on haemodialysis: a qualitative study to explore the experience and needs of incident patients.
abstract: Dialysis can be very stressful with the initial months onto treatment being highly critical in terms of both adaptation and mortality. This qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of incident haemodialysis patients in Singapore. Topics related to the end-stage renal disease diagnosis and haemodialysis treatment were raised with 13 incident haemodialysis patients in the form of semi-structured interviews, and interpretative phenomenological analysis was undertaken as the framework for data analysis. Emotional distress, treatment-related concerns and social support emerged as main issues following a critical review of themes. Our study revealed that incident haemodialysis patients have emotional and informational needs, highlighting the importance of intervention programmes in particular to this patient group to promote better psychosocial adjustment to the disease and its treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Alden Yuanhong
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Angela Ping Ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Nandakumar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mooppil
authors.forename: Deby Sarojiuy Pala
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Konstadina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Griva
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology*; D012846:Singapore; D012944:Social Support