The influence of different dialysis modalities on the quality of life of patients with end-stage renal disease: A systematic literature review

Objectives: This study aims to generate evidence regarding the relationships of different dialysis modalities with HR-QOL.

Design: A systematic review was conducted to investigate the HR-QOL of patients treated with different dialysis modalities.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for English language articles in the CINAHL, Medline and PubMed databases published from January 1990 through May 2016. Specifically, we sought articles that would compare the HR-QOL of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in terms of physiological, psychological and social functioning, as well as disease symptoms. Thirty-four articles met the study inclusion criteria and were included into the analysis.

Results: The research results indicated no significant differences in HR-QOL between HD and PD treatment. However, a higher percentage of patients who received PD had a better HR-QOL in terms of physiological, psychological, social and disease symptoms.

Conclusions: Despite the fact that the results of this study showed no difference in HR-QOL between HD and PD treatment, its review of relevant references can serve as a reference for health professionals. However, patients’ conditions must still be taken into account when making suggestions about which dialysis modality a patient should use.