Abstract

Aims and Objectives: General: To understand the experience of beginning hemodialysis treatment and its related adjustments.

Specific: To delve into the experience of beginning hemodialysis, understand patients’ concerns and perceptions about diet and lifestyle changes, comprehend the factors that interfere with adherence, and understand the experience and self-care associated with vascular access and the degree of social acceptance of the disease.

Background: The percentage of patients on hemodialysis who lack dietary adherence is highly variable, ranging from 25% to 86%. This affects morbidity-mortality and involves increased health care costs. Therefore, we studied this phenomenon from a qualitative point of view.

Design: Qualitative phenomenological study.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews of patients who had recently begun hemodialysis at the Fuerteventura general hospital were conducted.

Data analysis was performed using ATLAS Ti 7.0 software, with a focus on phenomenological reduction and inductive coding. And it has followed coreQ checklist to report the findings manuscript.

Result: Three major themes were found: self-care, kidney disease and replacement therapy, and relationships with the environment.

It was observed that patients who perceived greater support from their families had a higher level of adherence. Still, they experienced greater difficulty in adhering to the restrictions on liquid consumption than to following the dietary recommendations.