DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF SPANISH PATIENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ON HOW A DIALYSIS UNIT SHOULD BE DESIGNED

Abstract

ABSTRACTPeople with kidney disease on hemodialysis spend 4 hours of their lives three times a week in hemodialysis units. Although the new concept of 21st century medicine gives special prominence to the opinion of patients and family members, the reality is that this is rarely considered when establishing the requirements that a dialysis center should meet.ObjectiveTo know and compare the opinion and preferences of patients, family members and professionals regarding the design of a dialysis unit and the potential activities they believe should be carried out during the session in order to provide architects with real information for the construction of a dialysis center.MethodsAnonymous and voluntary survey in electronic format addressed to patients, relatives and professionals belonging to the 18 hemodialysis centers of the renal foundation and to ALCER and its different delegations, in relation to leisure activities to be carried out in the dialysis center and preferred design of the treatment room. The results obtained between the patient-family group and the professionals were compared.ResultsWe received 331 responses, of which 215 were from patients and family members (65%) and 116 (35%) from professionals. The most represented category among professionals was nursing (53%), followed by assistants (24%) and physicians (12.9%). A higher proportion of patients (66%) preferred rooms in groups of 10-12 patients as opposed to professionals who preferred open-plan rooms (p<0.001). The options that showed the most differences between patients and professionals were chatting with colleagues and intimacy (options most voted by patients/families), versus performing group activities and visibility (professionals).ConclusionsThe professionals’ view of patients’ needs does not always coincide with the patients’ perception. The inclusion of the perspective of people with kidney disease continues to be a pending issue in which we must improve both patient organizations and professionals, and the opinion of professionals and patients must be included in the design of a dialysis unit and the activities to be developed in it.