Extract:
“The gulf between what we as providers value for our patients and what the patients value is recognized. It has been a topic of discussion at multiple seminar, meetings, and journal articles. Surveys show patients rate sleep disorders, itch, dry skin, and fatigue as top concerns. The same surveys also show that providers are often unaware that these are patient issues, and if they are, they do not recognize the importance to the patients. How can we discover what is important to our patients?
The easy answer is to sit down and talk. However, like many easy answers, it is difficult to achieve. In the dialysis unit, our focus is on metrics that can be measured: mineral bone disease, anemia, Kt/v, BP. In the exam room, the focus is on vital signs, medication adjustment, and reconciliation. Few providers have the luxury of being able to sit down and really talk.
Kidney360 brought together four hemodialysis patients to talk about central venous catheters versus permanent accesses.”
Reference:Davis JS. Central Venous Catheter Versus Permanent Access: A Hemodialysis Patient Focus Group. Kidney360. 2022 Apr 15;3(6):1111. doi: 10.34067/KID.0002692022. PMID: 35845322; PMCID: PMC9255878.