Experience and Daily Burden of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Not Receiving Maintenance Dialysis or Renal Transplantation

INTRODUCTION: Daily burden of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have not received maintenance dialysis or renal transplantation has not been well reported compared with patients receiving dialysis. We conducted a patient survey and an advisory board in Japan to investigate the experience and perception of CKD and its treatments from the patient’s perspective. METHODS: An anonymous web survey (n = 342) was conducted in October and November 2020. Participants, who were recruited through multiple panels, aged 20 years or older, diagnosed with any stage of CKD, and who had neither received nor planned maintenance dialysis or renal transplantation were included. A questionnaire prepared under the medical advisor’s guidance was used to collect the background information, burden of disease and treatments, and needs and expectations for future treatments. An advisory board with five patients nominated from a patient group was conducted in December 2020. Additional insights to interpret the results of the preceding survey were collected using pre-identified discussion topics. RESULTS: Establishing a diagnosis of CKD generally took a long time; approximately 20% of the patients waited more than 5 years before diagnosis. In daily life, patients were burdened with CKD-related symptoms (e.g., tinnitus, leg cramps) and behavioral restrictions, including diet. They also felt psychological burdens, such as concerns about possible future dialysis and/or renal transplantation, lack of awareness and understanding of disease among the other people in their lives, and financial burdens related to medical expenses. Furthermore, they felt a lack of communication in daily interactions with health care professionals and others around them, and they desired interaction with patients with CKD. CONCLUSION: Understanding the burdens and the thoughts of patients with CKD could inform discussions about the ways to improve communication with patients in daily practice, the role of the patient community, and new therapeutic options to address patients’ expectations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000042300. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12325-022-02341-9.