'It's basically 'have that or die'': a qualitative study of older patients' choices between dialysis and conservative kidney management.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Older people with kidney failure often have a limited range of treatment options, with few being well enough to receive a transplant. Instead, they either start dialysis or have 'conservative kidney management' (CKM). CKM involves care that focuses on managing the symptoms of kidney failure and maintaining quality of life in the absence of dialysis. The relative ability of dialysis and CKM to make older people live longer and feel better is uncertain. This study aimed to describe how older patients understand and decide between dialysis and CKM, as evidence suggests they may not be fully supported to make informed decisions between these treatments.

Design

Qualitative study using semistructured interviews, analysed using inductive thematic analysis and constant co

SUBMITTER: Hole B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11891532 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature