AKI episodes significantly impact patients’ physical, mental health
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Among AKI survivors, 84% reported that the AKI episode significantly impacted their physical and emotional health, according to data published in Kidney 360.
“An additional handful of studies that have examined short and longer-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among AKI survivors have generally found that (1) there are both physical and mental health effects of AKI and (2) poorer AKI-related HRQoL is linked to greater mortality,” Galen Switzer, PhD, professor of medicine, psychiatry and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburg, and colleagues wrote. “Our goals for the current investigation were to survey AKI survivors in order to (1) describe the range of AKI-related HRQoL experiences – physical/functional, emotional, social (eg, family and work), health care communication and (2) examine potential differences in impacts of AKI by gender and age at AKI episode.”
In a cross-sectional investigation, researchers invited AKI survivors who were members of the American Association of Kidney Patients to participate in an online Qualtrics-based survey between Oct. 14 and Oct. 26, 2021. Using an anonymous online survey, researchers determined sociodemographics, impacts of AKI and perceptions about interactions with health care providers from patients.
A total of 124 AKI survivors completed the survey, and 84% reported their physical and emotional health was very or extremely impacted by the AKI episode. Additionally, 57% reported being very or extremely concerned about AKI effects on work, and 67% worried about the impact on family.
“These findings are a critical step forward in understanding the range of AKI experiences/consequences. Future research should incorporate more comprehensive HRQoL measures and health care professionals should consider providing more information in their patient communication about AKI and follow-up,” Switzer and colleagues wrote. “Additionally, health care professionals should be more proactive and informative in their patient communication about AKI and in their post-AKI follow-up, and more effective means of patient education and communication regarding AKI are needed to address patient concerns.”
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