Dialysis, Distress, and Difficult Conversations: Living with a Kidney Transplant

Clare McKeaveney, Helen Noble, Aisling E. Courtney, Sian Griffin, Paul Gill, William Johnston, Alexander P. Maxwell, Francesca Teasdale, Joanne Reid*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
48 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Providing holistic care to kidney patients is important; however, without full consideration of the perspectives of people living with a kidney transplant, the provision of truly ‘holistic healthcare’ cannot be possible. It is imperative to understand patient experiences by including kidney patients in key strategies and future renal service planning. Ignoring these important patient views means that there is a significant risk of inappropriate renal service provision and lack of adequate support, impacting overall health. The aim of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of kidney transplant recipients. Methods: A total of 23 participants were recruited between two regional nephrology units within the United Kingdom via clinical gatekeepers. In-depth interviews were undertaken. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Two themes emerged: “managing ongoing fears of dialysis, distress, and COVID-19” and “dealing with difficult conversations”. Conclusions: Renal healthcare professionals need to understand more than the biological impact of receiving a kidney transplant. Understanding the holistic and multidomain experiences that these participants experience will help healthcare professionals to recognize the needs of this group and ensure more responsive psychosocial care.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1177
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalHealthcare (Switzerland)
Volume10
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Jun 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • holistic
  • interpretative phenomenological analysis
  • kidney
  • qualitative
  • transplant
  • wellbeing

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