The needs of families who care for individuals with kidney failure on comprehensive conservative care: A qualitative systematic review.
N Ania-González, J Martín-Martín, P Amezqueta-Goñi and 1 others
PMID 35226408WHAT IT FOUND
Families caring for people with kidney failure on comprehensive conservative care reported unmet needs: clear prognosis and treatment information, shared decisions, continuity of care, and emotional, social and spiritual support.
Key findings
01Families caring for people with kidney failure on comprehensive conservative care described four need areas: knowledge, psychological, social and spiritual.
02Information was the main need expressed by families, including clear explanation of symptoms, management, expected course and comprehensive conservative care, and involvement in treatment decisions.
03Families needed continuity of care, home visits, early advance care planning, social support, and support for spiritual practices.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review searched only English and Spanish studies, so relevant work in other languages may be missing. It included only five articles and 70 family caregivers, so the themes may not cover all family situations. The search covered 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2021, so older studies were not included. The included studies came from four countries with different cultures. Most studies did not describe how researcher assumptions or biases may have shaped the analysis. Only caregiver perceptions were analysed in two studies that also interviewed patients, so patient views were not included in the themes. This is a qualitative synthesis of family needs. It does not test whether any intervention, tool or communication approach improves care.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the recommended family assessment tools or care models as proven treatments. This review describes what families said they needed. It does not show that using the Calgary model, IPOS-renal, home visits or advance care planning conversations improves patient or family outcomes.