Health-related quality of life, disease coping and self-management of renal transplant recipients over 60 years of age to identify strategies for improving patient-centred post-transplant care

Abstract: Hintergrund: Die Nierentransplantation bietet einer wachsenden Zahl älterer Patienten mit terminaler Niereninsuffizienz ein verbessertes Überleben und eine höhere Lebensqualität. Ältere Empfänger von Nierentransplantaten können jedoch aufgrund einer höheren Komorbiditätsbelastung, eines höheren kumulativen Risikos von Komplikationen im Zusammenhang mit der Immunsuppression und einer zunehmenden Gebrechlichkeit vor besondere Herausforderungen gestellt werden. Dennoch ist wenig über den Einfluss des Alterns auf die Situation dieser wachsenden Klientel bekannt. Diese Dissertation zielt darauf ab, die Überzeugungen und Werte, Einstellungen und Perspektiven älterer Nierentransplantatempfänger im oder über dem 60. Lebensjahr hinsichtlich gesundheitsbezogener Lebensqualität, Krankheitsbewältigung und Selbstmanagement beim Leben und Altern mit einem Nierentransplantat zu beschreiben, um die patientenzentrierte Nachsorge zu verbessern. Methoden der systematischen qualitativen Übersicht: Bis April 2015 wurden elektronische Datenbanken durchsucht. Qualitative Studien waren verwendbar, wenn sie von den Einstellungen älterer Nierentransplantempfänger berichteten (≥ 60 Jahre). Zur Analyse der Ergebnisse wurde eine thematische Synthese verwendet. Methodik der Interviewstudie: Es wurden persönliche, semi-strukturierte Interviews mit 30 Empfängern von Nierentransplantaten im Alter von 65 bis 80 Jahren aus fünf nephrologischen Einrichtungen in Australien durchgeführt. Die Transkripte wurden thematisch analysiert. Ergebnisse der systematischen qualitativen Übersicht: 21 Studien mit mehr als 116 Empfängern wurden einbezogen. Es wurden sieben Themen identifiziert. Die Wiedererlangung von Stärke und Vitalität bedeutete, die physischen und psychosozialen Verbesserungen im Alltagsleben zu schätzen. Verlängerung des Lebens bezog sich auf die Bereitschaft, jedes Tranplantatorgan (notfalls auch eines, das nicht höchsten Qualitätskriterien entsprach) zu akzeptieren, um das Überleben zu verlängern. Dankesschuld bedeutete eine bewusste Wertschätzung der Transplantatempfänger gegenüber ihrem Spender, wobei sie wussten, dass sie dessen Opfer nicht zurückzahlen konnten. Moralische Verantwortung für den Erhalt der Gesundheit motivierte zur Einhaltung von Medikamenten- und Verhaltensempfehlungen aus einer ethischen Verpflichtung heraus, das Überleben des gespendeten Organs zu schützen. Anhaltende und zunehmende Vergesslichkeit behinderte die Selbstorganisation, Enttäuschung über Nebenwirkungen und Komplikationen spiegelte Frustration und Wut über die unbeabsichtigten Folgen der Medikation wider. Die Endgültigkeit der Behandlungsmöglichkeit bezog sich auf das Bewusstsein, dass die aktuelle Transplantation die letzte mögliche gewesen sein könnte. Ergebnisse der Interviewstudie: Sechs Themen wurden identifiziert: Wiedererlangen jugendlicher Vitalität (mit Unterthemen: sich erholende Widerstandsfähigkeit, umfassende Lebensfreude, Drang zur Selbstverwirklichung); Hartnäckiges Überstehen der langwierigen Genesung (dem Altern nachgeben, funktionelle Einschränkungen akzeptieren, Grenzen überschreiten, dauerhafte Behandlungsverantwortung); Überlagerung durch andere Erkrankungen (Bekämpfung verheerender Komorbiditäten, schmerzhafte Einschränkungen, aufkommende Desillusionierung, Ängste wegen sich häufender Nebenwirkungen, aufzehrende Behandlungslast); Priorisieren des Transplantatüberlebens (privilegiert mit einem Wunder, Inkaufnehmen von Risiken für die Langlebigkeit, Erfüllen einer moralischen Verpflichtung, Bewahrung der letzten Gelegenheit); Konfrontation mit Gesundheitsverschlechterung (Verletzlichkeit und Hilflosigkeit, Verengung des Fokus auf unmittelbare Sorgen, Überlebensungewissheit); und Daseinswert (Lebenssinn durch Autonomie, Ablehnung der Last von vergeblicher Behandlung, Überleben unter allen Umständen). Schlussfolgerung: Die Transplantation im höheren Alter schenkt älteren Nierentransplantatempfängern Lebenskraft und Vitalität. Dankbar für den Überlebensgewinn, nutzen sie ihre Kraft, um ihre Gesundheit und die des Transplantats so lange wie möglich zu erhalten. Jedoch bedrohen eine langwierige Genesung, anhaltende und zunehmende Vergesslichkeit und Komplikationen durch chronische Komorbiditäten und Behandlungsnebenwirkungen die wiedererlangte Zufriedenheit und Lebensfreude. Enttäuschung entsteht über eine nicht enden wollende Behandlungslast. Einige renale Transplantatempfänger sehen ihr jetziges Transplantat als letzte Chance an und verknüpfen dies mit dem Wert ihres Daseins. Unterstützung während eines langen Genesungsprozesses, das Aufrechterhalten von funktionalen Fähigkeiten, die Therapie behandelbarer Nebenwirkungen und die Wahrnehmung von Perspektiven, Zielen und Werteinstellungen beim Empfänger können die patientenorientierte Versorgung verbessern und älteren Empfängern ermöglichen, ihr Transplantat und ihre Lebensqualität zu erhalten.Abstract: Background: Kidney transplantation offers a growing number of elderly patients with end-stage kidney disease improved survival and a higher quality of life. However, older kidney transplant recipients may face unique challenges due to a higher comorbidity burden, a higher cumulative risk of complications associated with immunosuppression, and increasing frailty. However, little is known about the influence of ageing on the situation of this growing clientele. The aim of this dissertation is to describe the beliefs and values, attitudes and perspectives of older kidney transplant recipients at or above the age of 60 regarding health-related quality of life, disease coping and self-management in living and aging with a kidney transplant in order to improve patient-centred follow-up. Methods of the systematic review of qualitative studies. Electronic databases were searched to April 2015. Qualitative studies were eligible if they reported views from elderly kidney transplant recipients (≥60 years). Thematic synthesis was used to analyse the findings. Methods of the interview study: Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 kidney transplant recipients aged 65-80 years from five renal units in Australia. Transcripts were analyzed thematically. Results of the thematic synthesis of qualitative research. Twenty-one studies involving >116 recipients were included. We identified seven themes. ‘Regaining strength and vitality’ meant valuing the physical and psychosocial improvements in daily functioning and life participation. ‘Extending life’was the willingness to accept any organ, including extended criteria kidneys, to prolong survival. ‘Debt of gratitude’ entailed conscious appreciation toward their donor while knowing they were unable to repay their sacrifice. ‘Moral responsibility to maintain health’ motivated adherence to medication and lifestyle recommendations out of an ethical duty to protect their gift for graft survival.‘Unabating and worsening forgetfulness’ hindered self-management.‘Disillusionment with side effects and complications’ reflected disappointment and exasperation with the unintended consequences of medications. ‘Finality of treatment option’ was an acute awareness that the current transplant may be their last. Results of the interview study: Six themes were identified: restoring vitality of youth (with subthemes of revived mindset for resilience, embracing enjoyment in life, drive for self-actualization); persisting through prolonged recovery (yielding to aging, accepting functional limitations, pushing the limit, enduring treatment responsibilities); imposing sicknesses (combatting devastating comorbidities, painful restrictions,emerging disillusionment, anxieties about accumulating side effects, consuming treatment burden); prioritizing graft survival (privileged with a miracle, negotiating risks for longevity, enacting a moral duty, preserving the last opportunity); confronting health deterioration (vulnerability and helplessness, narrowing focus to immediate concerns, uncertainty of survival);and value of existence (purpose through autonomy, refusing the burden of futile treatment, staying alive by all means). Conclusion: Transplantation at an advanced age restores vitality and vitality in older kidney transplant recipients. Grateful for the survival gain, they use their strength to maintain their health and that of the transplant for as long as possible. However, protracted recovery, persistent and increasing forgetfulness and complications from chronic comorbidities and treatment side effects threaten the regained satisfaction and joie de vivre. Disappointment arises from a never-ending burden of treatment. Some renal transplant recipients see their current transplant as their last chance and associate this with the value of their existence. Support during a prolonged convalescence, maintaining functional capabilities, managing treatable side effects, and understanding the recipient's perspectives, goals, and values can improve patient-centered care and enable older recipients to maintain their transplant and quality of life

Identifying outcomes that are important to living kidney donors: A nominal group technique study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Living kidney donor candidates accept a range of risks and benefits when they decide to proceed with nephrectomy. Informed consent around this decision assumes they receive reliable data about outcomes they regard as critical to their decision making. We identified the outcomes most important to living kidney donors and described the reasons for their choices. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Previous donors were purposively sampled from three transplant units in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and Canada (Vancouver). In focus groups using the nominal group technique, participants identified outcomes of donation, ranked them in order of importance, and discussed the reasons for their preferences. An importance score was calculated for each outcome. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Across 14 groups, 123 donors aged 27-78 years identified 35 outcomes. Across all participants, the ten highest ranked outcomes were kidney function (importance=0.40, scale 0-1), time to recovery (0.27), surgical complications (0.24), effect on family (0.22), donor-recipient relationship (0.21), life satisfaction (0.18), lifestyle restrictions (0.18), kidney failure (0.14), mortality (0.13), and acute pain/discomfort (0.12). Kidney function and kidney failure were more important to Canadian participants, compared with Australian donors. The themes identified included worthwhile sacrifice, insignificance of risks and harms, confidence and empowerment, unfulfilled expectations, and heightened susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS: Living kidney donors prioritized a range of outcomes, with the most important being kidney health and the surgical, lifestyle, functional, and psychosocial effects of donation. Donors also valued improvements to their family life and donor-recipient relationship. There were clear regional differences in the rankings

Identifying and integrating patient and caregiver perspectives for clinical practice guidelines on the screening and management of infectious microorganisms in hemodialysis units

Introduction: The integration of patient and caregiver input into guideline development can help to ensure that clinical care addresses patient expectations, priorities, and needs. We aimed to identify topics and outcomes salient to patients and caregivers for inclusion in the Kidney Health Australia Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment (KHA-CARI) clinical practice guideline on the screening and management of infectious microorganisms in hemodialysis units. Methods: A facilitated workshop was conducted with 11 participants (patients [n = 8], caregivers [n = 3]). Participants identified and discussed potential topics for inclusion in the guidelines, which were compared to those developed by the guideline working group. The workshop transcript was thematically analyzed to identify and describe the reasons underpinning their priorities. Findings: Patients and caregivers identified a range of topics already covered by the scope of the proposed guidelines and also suggested additional topics: privacy and confidentiality, psychosocial care during/after disease notification, quality of transportation, psychosocial treatment of patients in isolation, patient/caregiver education and engagement, and patient advocacy. Five themes characterized discussion and underpinned their choices: shock and vulnerability, burden of isolation, fear of infection, respect for privacy and confidentiality, and confusion over procedural inconsistencies. Discussion: Patients and caregivers emphasized the need for guidelines to address patient education and engagement, and the psychosocial implications of communication and provision of care in the context of infectious microorganisms in hemodialysis units. Integrating patient and caregiver perspectives can help to improve the relevance of guidelines to enhance quality of care, patient experiences, and health and psychosocial outcomes

Establishing Core Outcome Domains in Hemodialysis: Report of the Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Hemodialysis (SONG-HD) Consensus Workshop

International audienceEvidence-informed decision making in clinical care and policy in nephrology is undermined by trials that selectively report a large number of heterogeneous outcomes, many of which are not patient centered. The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Hemodialysis (SONG-HD) Initiative convened an international consensus workshop on November 7, 2015, to discuss the identification and implementation of a potential core outcome set for all trials in hemodialysis. The purpose of this article is to report qualitative analyses of the workshop discussions, describing the key aspects to consider when establishing core outcomes in trials involving patients on hemodialysis therapy. Key stakeholders including 8 patients/caregivers and 47 health professionals (nephrologists, policymakers, industry, and researchers) attended the workshop. Attendees suggested that identifying core outcomes required equitable stakeholder engagement to ensure relevance across patient populations, flexibility to consider evolving priorities over time, deconstruction of language and meaning for conceptual consistency and clarity, understanding of potential overlap and associations between outcomes, and an assessment of applicability to the range of interventions in hemodialysis. For implementation, they proposed that core outcomes must have simple, inexpensive, and validated outcome measures that could be used in clinical care (quality indicators) and trials (including pragmatic trials) and endorsement by regulatory agencies. Integrating these recommendations may foster acceptance and optimize the uptake and translation of core outcomes in hemodialysis, leading to more informative research, for better treatment and improved patient outcomes

Establishing a Core Outcome Measure for Fatigue in Patients on Hemodialysis: A Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology–Hemodialysis (SONG-HD) Consensus Workshop Report

Fatigue is one of the most highly prioritized outcomes for patients and clinicians, but remains infrequently and inconsistently reported across trials in hemodialysis. We convened an international Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology–Hemodialysis (SONG-HD) consensus workshop with stakeholders to discuss the development and implementation of a core outcome measure for fatigue. 15 patients/caregivers and 42 health professionals (clinicians, researchers, policy makers, and industry representatives) from 9 countries participated in breakout discussions. Transcripts were analyzed thematically. 4 themes for a core outcome measure emerged. Drawing attention to a distinct and all-encompassing symptom was explicitly recognizing fatigue as a multifaceted symptom unique to hemodialysis. Emphasizing the pervasive impact of fatigue on life participation justified the focus on how fatigue severely impaired the patient’s ability to do usual activities. Ensuring relevance and accuracy in measuring fatigue would facilitate shared decision making about treatment. Minimizing burden of administration meant avoiding the cognitive burden, additional time, and resources required to use the measure. A core outcome measure that is simple, is short, and includes a focus on the severity of the impact of fatigue on life participation may facilitate consistent and meaningful measurement of fatigue in all trials to inform decision making and care of patients receiving hemodialysis

Establishing Core Outcome Domains in Hemodialysis: Report of the Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology–Hemodialysis (SONG-HD) Consensus Workshop

Evidence-informed decision making in clinical care and policy in nephrology is undermined by trials that selectively report a large number of heterogeneous outcomes, many of which are not patient centered. The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Hemodialysis (SONG-HD) Initiative convened an international consensus workshop on November 7, 2015, to discuss the identification and implementation of a potential core outcome set for all trials in hemodialysis. The purpose of this article is to report qualitative analyses of the workshop discussions, describing the key aspects to consider when establishing core outcomes in trials involving patients on hemodialysis therapy. Key stakeholders including 8 patients/caregivers and 47 health professionals (nephrologists, policymakers, industry, and researchers) attended the workshop. Attendees suggested that identifying core outcomes required equitable stakeholder engagement to ensure relevance across patient populations, flexibility to consider evolving priorities over time, deconstruction of language and meaning for conceptual consistency and clarity, understanding of potential overlap and associations between outcomes, and an assessment of applicability to the range of interventions in hemodialysis. For implementation, they proposed that core outcomes must have simple, inexpensive, and validated outcome measures that could be used in clinical care (quality indicators) and trials (including pragmatic trials) and endorsement by regulatory agencies. Integrating these recommendations may foster acceptance and optimize the uptake and translation of core outcomes in hemodialysis, leading to more informative research, for better treatment and improved patient outcomes