Experiences of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis regarding patient education: a qualitative content analysis

Background-Aim: Patients with chronic kidney disease can consult with their families and attending physicians to choose among several renal replacement therapies. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis regarding the information given to them by the healthcare personnel at the beginning and during their course of treatment.Method: This qualitative study consisted of ۱۸ patients receiving peritoneal dialysis living in four provinces of Iran. Purposive sampling was used and the data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed with qualitative conventional content analysis and MAXQDA۱۰.Results: The content analysis led to the emergence of three main categories: lack of information with two subcategories of limited access to reliable sources and unmet educational needs, desire to promote health with two sub-categories of perception of the importance of health literacy and motivation to learn, and searching styles with three subcategories of indifference to information, information hunger, and avoidance of information.Implication for Practice: Considering patients’ conditions and cultures, the chronic nature of the disease and the constant involvement of patients’ family members in this process, patients and their families should have open access to sufficient and reliable information. Collaborative decision-making will be the best, most effective and satisfactory form of decision-making for patients.

Keywords:

Patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis , patient education , qualitative study