THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ADHERENCE TO THERAPEUTIC RECOMMENDATIONS OF HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Aim
The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life of hemodialysis patients and adherence to therapeutic recommendations.

Material and methods
This survey-based study involved 71 patients with CKD receiving hemodialysis as renal replacement therapy. The research instruments were: the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF–36), the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS), and the author’s questionnaire.

Results
The study demonstrated that age, place of residence, education, and physical activity of hemodialysis patients have a significant impact on their quality of life. No statistically significant relationships were observed between gender, marital status, physical activity, and the quality of patients’ lives. Adherence to therapeutic recommendations had as a significant effect on the quality of life in the domains of physical functioning (PF), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), and role emotional (RE), as well as on mental functioning (Mental component score, MCS).

Conclusions
The age of patients receiving renal replacement therapy is a significant negative contributor to their quality of life. Hemodialysis as a method of treatment for CKD substantially deteriorates the quality of patients’ lives, especially those living in rural areas, those with primary and vocational education, and those receiving hemodialysis treatment for a longer time. Adherence to therapeutic recommendations has a positive effect on the quality of life of hemodialysis patients.