title: In Quality We Trust; but Quality of Life or Quality of Care?
abstract: The ESRD program provides medical care to a diverse and medically complex patient population. The care for the ESRD patient population has become increasingly benchmarked with process of care measures. These measures include dialysis adequacy, anemia, nutrition, and vascular access outcomes. These process-related dialysis measures may not improve the care of the individual patient as care relates to the individual's goals and values. There is also evidence that these process measures may not be causally related to quality of life, hospitalization, and survival. The adoption of patient-reported outcomes may shift the balance toward more patient-centered care. However, the extent to which mandated measures of health-related quality of life and patient satisfaction result in improved outcomes remains unclear.
authors: Nephrology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
authors: Shan Shan
authors: SS
authors: Chen
authors: Nephrology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico.|Renal Section, Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Unruh
authors: Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Williams
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D057566:Self Report; D016896:Treatment Outcome