Comparison of Quality of Life of Dialysis Treatments: the Case of Ankara Province

Objective: In this cross-sectional study, the quality of life of the patients who received Central hemodialysis (CH), Home Hemodialysis (HH) and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) treatments, which are the RRT methods applied in ESRD in Türkiye, compared. This study aimed to offer suggestions for disseminating the application of the treatment method that provides life comfort. Materials and Methods: Kidney Disease Quality of Life scale KDQOL 36 was applied to patients in Ankara diagnosed with ESRD and receiving central hemodialysis, home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis treatment. The scale was applied by face-to-face interview method between 10.02.2022 and 01.05.2022. A simple random sampling method was used to determine the sample size, and all patients (n:574) with the sample size selected within the scope of the study were reached. In the evaluation of statistical tests, the level of significance was taken as α 0,05. Results: It was observed that the mean quality of life of the physical and mental health components, which indicate the general quality of life of the patients, were below the average level with the values of 37.7±9.8 and 42.4±9.3, respectively. The mean of the effects of kidney disease sub-dimension was 58.9±24.5; The mean of the symptom list sub-dimension of kidney disease was 66.0±21.9. Conclusion: When the mean values of the sub-dimensions of the scale are evaluated as a whole, it is considered that the quality of life of the patients receiving dialysis treatment is low. Since home hemodialysis is superior to other types of dialysis in all sub-dimension mean scores of the scale, it is recommended that the Social Security Institution make encouraging regulations in the Health Implementation Communiqué to disseminate this practice.