Assessment of the quality of life of patients undergoing hemodialysis in a private nephrology center in Crete.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the quality of life (QoL) of patients undergoing hemodialysis and their satisfaction with the services of the private nephrology center. METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of patients at the Mesogeios Dialysis Center, Heraklion, Crete. The patients answered the standardized Greek versions of the SF-36 Health Survey Questionnaire and the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 24.0. RESULTS The study sample consisted of 67 patients undergoing hemodialysis, in the age range 51-75 years, of whom 75.4% were males and 24.6% females. According to their responses on SF-36, the patients' satisfaction with their QoL was described as "moderate" by 47.5% of the participants, in terms of general health. Their scores indicated that the patients were very satisfied with the services provided by the private nephrology center. The women recorded higher levels of restriction on their activities, but also higher levels of satisfaction with their general care, than the men. In addition, older patients recorded lower levels of health and greater limitations on activity and physical health. CONCLUSIONS QoL assessment should be an integral part of treatment programs and should be systematically evaluated in routine clinical practice. Improvement measures, based on the findings, should be directed towards enhancing the activities of women and elderly patients, and towards the elderly in terms of their general and physical health, but also towards the general care of the men patients on hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]