A comparative descriptive analysis of perceived quality of caring attitudes and behaviours between haemodialysis patients and their nurses.

Participants were a convenience sample from 10 French-speaking Swiss haemodialysis units, and patients had to be able to speak French and take part, so the results may not apply to other settings or to patients who are too unwell to participate. The study measured perceptions at the time of the survey, so it cannot show how caring attitudes or behaviours change over time. Nurses and patients from different hospitals were analysed together as if they were independent, so hospital-level differences were not examined. The scale used has been tested mostly with nurses and students, with limited prior use in patients, so patient answers may not fit the scale's concepts exactly. Some questionnaire responses were missing and were not replaced, so some averages may be based on fewer people than the original sample.

The authors declared no conflict of interest. The named funder was the Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung.

Do not conclude that nurses under-rate their care or that patient ratings prove high-quality care. The study compared self-reported perceptions at the time of the survey and did not observe nursing behaviours or patient outcomes.