Patient’s experience with home hemodialysis: a qualitative study

Abstract

As the number of chronic kidney disease patients increases so does the need for a renal replacement therapy (RRT). Increasing patient age, medical complexity, and a shortage of organs for transplantation are contributing factors to the rise of patients starting a RRT known as dialysis. The purpose of this research was to explore the patient experience using home hemodialysis (HHD) and identify common benefits and barriers that exist. Twenty HHD patients from a community based hospital participated in a semi-structured interview. Four overarching themes were identified: perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived severity and self-efficacy. This study identifies key elements of the HHD patient experience and provides a basis for improving HHD programs.