Questions older people and caregivers ask about kidney therapies: A computer-assisted analysis.
Rebecca Allen, Alex Nakonechnyi, Sally A Norton and 1 others
PMID 40010059WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers asked far more questions about dialysis logistics than patients, while patients focused on access site appearance.
Both groups rarely asked about conservative management or end-of-life care. Clinicians should proactively discuss these options rather than waiting for prompts.
Key findings
01Patients and caregivers rarely asked questions about conservative kidney management or end-of-life care, despite decision aids being available.
02Caregivers asked significantly more questions about dialysis logistics, such as home versus in-center treatment and dietary restrictions, compared to patients.
03Patients were uniquely concerned about dialysis access sites and potential disfigurement, a topic caregivers did not ask about.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All patients interacted with a single clinician, so the findings may reflect that specific provider's communication style. The study did not account for racial discordance between the South Asian clinician and the predominantly Caucasian patient group. Nonverbal cues and paralinguistic factors were not analyzed, which may have influenced the decision-making process.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low number of questions about conservative kidney management or end-of-life care as a lack of interest. The study shows these topics were rarely asked about, but it does not prove patients would have rejected them if offered proactively.