Exploring the Needs of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.

Background:  Many studies have focused on patients' experiences living with hemodialysis therapy; however, there is little research exploring their needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore hemodialysis patients' needs in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews was used. Data were collected from Aghrass Medical Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: A total of 16 hemodialysis patients underwent in-depth interviews. The mean age of the participants was 49 ± 14.93 years of age. More than half of the participants were male (56.25%), and most of them were married (75%). Regarding the clinical characteristics, all patients had three sessions in a week, and the average duration was four hours per session. The mean number of years on dialysis therapy was 3.80 ± 2.8. Using thematic analysis, four themes emerged. These were the impact of fatigue and need for fatigue self-management, need for family and social support, psychological and emotional support from healthcare professionals, and changes in the patients' role performance and their need for adaptation.  Conclusions: This study highlights the aspects of needs among hemodialysis patients from their own perspective. Four themes of needs emerged from this study. Consequently, healthcare professionals should assess patients' needs frequently to ensure high-quality care.