Health-related Quality of Life and Health Utility of Chinese Patients Undergoing Nocturnal Home Haemodialysis in comparison with Other Modes of Dialysis

Abstract

Background: To compare the health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and health utility of Chinese patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing nocturnal home haemodialysis against those patients undergoing other modes of dialysis. Methods: Chinese ESRD patients undergoing nocturnal home haemodialysis were recruited in renal specialist outpatient clinics at three public hospitals in Hong Kong. SF‐12 Health Survey (SF‐12) was used to measure HRQOL and generate the SF‐6D heath utility score. Mean scores of SF‐12 domains, physical and mental component summary, and SF‐6D health utility of 41 patients undergoing nocturnal home haemodialysis were compared to available scores of patients receiving other forms of dialysis, namely peritoneal dialysis (n=103), hospital in‐centre haemodialysis (n=135), or community in‐centre haemodialysis (n=118). Adjusted linear regression models were performed to examine the impact of mode of dialysis on the HRQOL and health utility scores, accounting for the socio‐demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: ESRD patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and community in‐centre haemodialysis had better health utility, physical and mental component summary scores than the hospital in‐centre haemodialysis. Adjusted analysis showed that hospital in‐centre haemodialysis reported worse physical component summary and health utility scores when compared to peritoneal dialysis and community in‐centre haemodialysis. Conclusions: HRQOL and health utility scores of patients undergoing nocturnal home haemodialysis were similar to those undergoing peritoneal dialysis and community in‐centre haemodialysis. Better physical aspects of HRQOL and health utility was observed in peritoneal dialysis and community‐based haemodialysis than hospital in‐centre haemodialysis, providing evidence for the increase in capacity of non‐hospital based haemodialysis which provided flexibility as well as patient‐centredness and empowerment in Hong Kong.