More patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are becoming
increasingly dependent on lifelong dialysis as their only means of renal replacement
therapy. However, despite the improvements in dialysis techniques/procedures and care,
there are still high mortality rates, which are significantly predicted by a lowered quality
of life (QoL). This chapter, therefore, addresses QoL issues in ESKD. We first explore
the various issues surrounding QoL in dialysis research. We then briefly review the
empirical findings and limitations in this area. We end by proposing applications of
QoL research in clinical settings, and examine empirical research that might potentially
assist patients with decision-making for different treatment modalities.
Keywords: Quality of life, end-stage kidney disease, dialysis, haemodialysis,
peritoneal dialysis, treatment modalities, clinical applications.
