Knowledge, Adherence, and Perception of Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis to Treatment Regimens at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan

Background The management of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) demands meticulous adherence to treatment regimens, encompassing hemodialysis (HD) sessions, medication protocols, dietary guidelines, and fluid restrictions. The intricate interplay of factors impacting treatment adherence warrants comprehensive exploration, particularly within Pakistan. Objective To assess knowledge, adherence, and perception regarding the treatment regimens and their determinants among ESRD patients. Methodology Employing a nonprobability, consecutive sampling method, this prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in July and August 2023 at Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. It exclusively enrolled adult patients with a minimum three-month history of hemodialysis. Thorough demographic data were collected, followed by the meticulous administration of a translated version of the End Stage Renal Disease-Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ) through face-to-face interviews in the native language. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26 (released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used to acquire descriptive statistics, as well as Pearson's and Spearman's correlations and univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Results The study encompassed 119 patients, with a mean age of 43.13 ± 14.99 years. Adherence scores revealed means of 921.83 ± 28.37 for males and 865.18 ± 28.81 for females, out of 1200. Notably, only 10.1% demonstrated good adherence, 31.9% displayed moderate adherence, and 58% exhibited poor adherence. A statistically significant association emerged between better adherence and access to personal transportation (β=-0.225; 95% CI -178.24 to -20.77, p=0.014), with no other demographic factors predicting adherence. Conclusion The study underscores the sobering reality of minimal optimal adherence. Chief impediments include anxiety, alongside challenges such as fistula complications, financial constraints, transportation barriers, and inadequate counseling and motivation. Evidently, robust patient education, sustained motivation, and unwavering support from healthcare providers and institutional entities are imperative to surmount the multifaceted barriers that compromise treatment adherence.