Fatigue in patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD): views and experiences of health professionals

Authors

  • W. van der Borg

Abstract

Background ESRD patients often report fatigue as a stressful and burdensome symptom that strongly impacts their daily life. So far, little is known about how health professionals perceive and address patient’s fatigue in care practice. The aim of this study is to explore how health professionals perceive the severity, causal and perpetuating factors of fatigue in ESRD patients, how they assess needs and possibilities to alleviate fatigue complaints, and how they value a psychosocial intervention to reduce the burden of fatigue. Methods Approximately 25 semi-structured interviews are held with health professionals from various disciplines (nephrologists, dialysis nurses, medical social workers). Participants are recruited from dialysis centers across The Netherlands. Interviews are audiotaped and transcribed verbatim (after consent). Data are subjected to thematic analysis. Expected results: This study will shed light on the way health professionals signal and address fatigue symptoms in ESRD patients and whether experiences and views differ between disciplines. Gained insights contribute to our understanding of how health professionals value and perceive possibilities to support ESRD patiënts in alleviating fatigue. Current stage of work: So far, 12 interviews were conducted. Additional interviews will be conducted until data saturation is reached. Data collection and analysis will be completed by June 2017. Discussion Findings will inform the development of a psychosocial intervention to reduce the burden of fatigue in ESRD patients. Perceived barriers and facilitators for implementation in care practice will be discussed.

Published

2017-12-31

Issue

Section

Poster presentations