Relationship of Symptom Clusters, Compliance with the Patient’s Role Behavior, and Dialysis Adequacy with Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships of symptom clusters, compliance with the patient’s role behavior, and dialysis adequacy with quality of life among hemodialysis patients. Methods: Structured surveys were used to collect data from 132 patients who were receiving hemodialysis as outpatients at two hemodialysis units using the Dialysis Symptom Index, tools to assess compliance with the patient’s role behavior and dialysis adequacy, and the Korean version of the World Health Organization BREF index for quality of life. Results: Quality of life was negatively correlated with the emotional-gastrointestinal symptom cluster (r=-.20, p=.021), the disturbance related-worrying symptom cluster (r=-.40, p<.001), and the sexual symptom cluster (r=-.23, p=.007), and positively correlated with compliance with the patient’s sick role (r=.43, p<.001). Conclusion: Nursing interventions for hemodialysis patients targeting each symptom cluster are expected to improve their quality of life, as well as applying educational programs and nursing interventions to strengthen patient role performance.