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Original Investigation

Lived experiences of patients receiving hemodialysis during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Marie-Françoise Malo, Aliya Affdal, Daniel Blum, Fabian Ballesteros Gallego, William Beaubien-Souligny, Marie-Line Caron, Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette, Murray Vasilevsky, Norka Rios, Marie-Chantal Fortin and Rita S. Suri
Kidney360 April 2022, 10.34067/KID.0000182022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.34067/KID.0000182022
Marie-Françoise Malo
1Université de Montréal, Canada
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Aliya Affdal
1Université de Montréal, Canada
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Daniel Blum
2Jewish General Hospital, Canada
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Fabian Ballesteros Gallego
3Nephrology, Centre de recherche du CHUM, Canada
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William Beaubien-Souligny
4Medicine, Université de Montréal, Canada
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Marie-Line Caron
5Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Canada
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Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette
6Medicine, Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Canada
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  • ORCID record for Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette
Murray Vasilevsky
7McGill University Health Centre, Canada
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Norka Rios
8Research Institue McGill University Health Centre, Canada
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Marie-Chantal Fortin
9Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Canada
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  • For correspondence: marie-chantal.fortin.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Rita S. Suri
7McGill University Health Centre, Canada
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Key Points

  • Hemodialysis patients showed resilience in their ability to adapt to the new reality of their hemodialysis treatments.

Abstract

Background: Hemodialysis patients have faced unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. They face high risk of death if infected, and have unavoidable exposure to others when they come to hospital three times weekly for their life-saving treatments. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the scope and magnitude of the impacts of the pandemic on the lived experience of patients receiving in-center hemodialysis. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 patients who were undergoing dialysis treatments in five hemodialysis centers in Montreal from Nov 2020 to May 2021. Interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Most participants reported no negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their hemodialysis care. Several patients had negative feelings related to forced changes in their dialysis schedules, and this was especially pronounced for indigenous patients in a shared living situation. Some patients were concerned about contracting COVID-19, especially during public transportation, while others expressed confidence that the physical distancing and screening measures implemented at the hospital would protect them and their loved ones. Some participants reported that masks negatively impacted their interactions with healthcare workers, and for many others, the pandemic was associated with feelings of loneliness. Finally, some respondents reported some positive impacts of the pandemic, including use of telemedicine, and creating a sense of solidarity. Conclusion: Patients undergoing hemodialysis reported no negative impacts on their medical care, but faced significant disruptions in their routines and social interactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, they showed great resilience in their ability to adapt to the new reality of their hemodialysis treatments. We also show that studies focused on understanding the lived experiences of indigenous patients and patients from different ethnic backgrounds are needed in order reduce inequities in care during public health emergencies.

  • Quebec
  • COVID-19 pandemics
  • hemodialysis
  • qualitative methods
  • patient experience
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Received January 5, 2022.
  • Revision received April 21, 2022.
  • Accepted April 21, 2022.
  • Copyright © 2022 American Society of Nephrology
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Kidney360: 3 (5)
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Vol. 3, Issue 5
26 May 2022
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Dialysis patients' COVID-19 experiences
Marie-Françoise Malo, Aliya Affdal, Daniel Blum, Fabian Ballesteros Gallego, William Beaubien-Souligny, Marie-Line Caron, Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette, Murray Vasilevsky, Norka Rios, Marie-Chantal Fortin, Rita S. Suri
Kidney360 Apr 2022, 10.34067/KID.0000182022; DOI: 10.34067/KID.0000182022

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Dialysis patients' COVID-19 experiences
Marie-Françoise Malo, Aliya Affdal, Daniel Blum, Fabian Ballesteros Gallego, William Beaubien-Souligny, Marie-Line Caron, Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette, Murray Vasilevsky, Norka Rios, Marie-Chantal Fortin, Rita S. Suri
Kidney360 Apr 2022, 10.34067/KID.0000182022; DOI: 10.34067/KID.0000182022
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Keywords

  • Quebec
  • COVID-19 pandemics
  • hemodialysis
  • qualitative methods
  • Patient Experience
  • SARS-CoV-2

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