A comparison of quality of life between patients treated with different dialysis modalities in Taiwan

PURPOSE: This study compared the quality of life (QOL) of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in Taiwan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited end-stage renal disease patients from 34 Taiwanese hospitals or clinics. Patient characteristics, diagnoses, and laboratory data were extracted from charts. The Chinese version of the Quality of Life Index–Dialysis version (QLI-D) was used. Multiple linear regression analysis showed the effects of dialysis modality on QOL. P<0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: In total, 600 HD and 387 PD patients were included. The mean health and functioning, social and economic, psychological/spiritual, and family subscale scores and total QOL scores were significantly lower in HD patients than PD patients. After adjusting for region, hospital level, age, education level, marital status, and Karnofsky Performance Scale, the total QOL was 2.81 points higher for PD patients than for HD patients visiting medical centers (p<0.001). The total QOL was 2.53 points lower in PD patients than in HD patients for those visiting clinics. CONCLUSION: Compared to HD patients, PD patients had better QOL in Taiwanese medical centers. The current survey improves our understanding of the QOL of patients undergoing different dialysis modalities in Taiwan.