The following is a summary of “Impact of COVID-19 on patient experience of kidney care: a rapid review,” published in the December 2023 issue of Nephrology by Mackintosh et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to illuminate the pandemic’s impact on patient experiences within kidney care, utilizing a rapid literature review approach.
They reviewed Cochrane Rapid Review interim guidance. Search terms, including ‘coronavirus,’ ‘kidney care,’ ‘patient-reported experience,’ and semantically similar terms, retrieved 1,117 articles from Medline, Scopus, and Worldwide Science, with 17 articles included in narrative synthesis.
The results showed 3 themes, remote consultation and telemedicine (n = 9), psychosocial impact (n = 2), and patient satisfaction and patient-reported experience (n = 6). Patients generally expressed satisfaction with remote consultations, finding them convenient and a way to avoid hospital visits. Concerns included potential oversight of critical clinical findings, limited digital literacy, and technical challenges. Psychosocial impact varied across treatment modalities, with transplant recipients experiencing instability and apprehension about returning to dialysis, leading to lower satisfaction, work difficulties, and medication access issues. Home dialysis patients felt safer. The findings spotlighted specific aspects of kidney care during the pandemic rather than offering a comprehensive overview.
Investigators concluded that modality differences and health inequities received scant attention, leaving gaps in understanding and limiting support for future kidney care in public health crises.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40620-023-01823-5
