Stakeholder-Guided Development of Dialysis Vascular Access Education Materials.

Background: Initiating hemodialysis an arteriovenous (AV) access is considered best practice for most patients. Despite the well-recognized advantages of AV access, 80% of US patients start hemodialysis with a catheter. Limited patient knowledge about vascular access, among other factors, may play a role in this high rate.

A Person-Centered Interdisciplinary Plan-of-Care Program for Dialysis: Implementation and Preliminary Testing.

Rationale & Objective: Despite growing interest in individualizing care, routine dialysis processes, including the interdisciplinary plan of care, often fail to account for patient-identified priorities. To better align dialysis care with patient priorities and improve care planning experiences, we implemented a person-centered care plan program at a single clinic. We also sought to gain insight into key implementation considerations and areas for program improvement.

Feasibility of Tablet-Based Patient-Reported Symptom Data Collection Among Hemodialysis Patients.

Introduction: Individuals receiving in-center hemodialysis have high symptom burdens but often do not report their symptoms to care teams. Evidence from other diseases suggest that use of symptom electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) may improve outcomes. We assessed the usability of a symptom ePROM system and then implemented a quality improvement (QI) project with the objective of improving symptom communication at a US hemodialysis clinic.

Development of a person-centered interdisciplinary plan-of-care program for dialysis.

Background: Dialysis care often focuses on outcomes that are of lesser importance to patients than to clinicians. There is growing international interest in individualizing care based on patient priorities, but evidence-based approaches are lacking. The objective of this study was to develop a person-centered dialysis care planning program.

Development and content validity of a hemodialysis symptom patient-reported outcome measure.

Purpose: To describe the process and preliminary qualitative development of a new symptom-based patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) intended to assess hemodialysis treatment-related physical symptoms.

Methods: Experienced interviewers conducted concept elicitation and cognitive debriefing interviews with individuals receiving in-center hemodialysis in the United States. Concept elicitation interviews involved eliciting spontaneous reports of symptom experiences and probing to further explore and confirm concepts.

Perspectives on symptom experiences and symptom reporting among individuals on hemodialysis.

Background: Individuals on hemodialysis bear substantial symptom burdens, but providers often underappreciate patient symptoms. In general, standardized, patient-reported symptom data are not captured during routine dialysis care. We undertook this study to better understand patient experiences with symptoms and symptom reporting.

Perspectives on Research Participation and Facilitation Among Dialysis Patients, Clinic Personnel, and Medical Providers: A Focus Group Study.

Background: Most prospective studies involving individuals receiving maintenance dialysis have been small, and many have had poor clinical translatability. Research relevance can be enhanced through stakeholder engagement. However, little is known about dialysis clinic stakeholders' perceptions of research participation and facilitation.