Adherence to Treatment by African Americans Undergoing Hemodialysis.

End stage renal disease (ESRD) affects African Americans more than any other ethnic group. Adherence is a challenge. Patients with ESRD must adhere to medication, diet, fluid restrictions, and dialysis treatment schedules if they do not receive a kidney transplant. The purpose of this exploratory, descriptive study was to assess adherence in 120 African Americans with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the ESRD Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ). Biomarkers were collected from medical records. Few participants (24%) adhered to dietary restrictions; however, fluid restriction was reported as the most difficult to manage, which was consistent with the interdialytic weight gain biomarker. Older participants were more adherent. Participants were adherent with HD attendance and medication. Participants reported frequent communication with the healthcare team, but a more formal process needs to be implemented with follow up to ensure understanding and reinforce adherence.