title: How Can We Improve the Quality of Life of Dialysis Patients?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitema
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.|Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.|Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.|Nephrology Center of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Bernard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Jaar
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D020920:Dyssomnias / Q000628:therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D057566:Self Report; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy