Dialysis and quality of life: identifying and managing critical aspects

Living with a chronic disease is for the patient a ''disease experience'' that also affects the psychosocial sphere and has a negative impact on perceived quality of life. To estimate the effect of dialysis on the perceived quality of life and to identify by means of a specific questionnaire the aspects that are compromised most. From our results it emerged that the examined patients had a sufficiently good total perception of quality of life, even though about 30% of the patients reported critical aspects related to daily life and, in some age groups, also related to dialysis method. This study confirms the importance of developing educational and supportive predialysis programs in order to identify and reduce the critical aspects.