Dialysis Patients' Experiences of Participating in Dialysis Type Selection: A Phenomenological Study

Background and Aims: The choice of dialysis or kidney transplantation is based on the agreement of the doctor and the patient, the examinations and the history of the type of dialysis, which helps the patient to make decisions and participate in their health process. The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the experiences of dialysis patients to participate in choosing the type of dialysis. Materials and Methods: The present study was a qualitative study of the phenomenological and psychological type. In this qualitative study, 20 dialysis patients from dialysis centers in Birjand participated in 1403. The sampling method was purposive and the data were collected by individual semi-structured interviews. The qualitative analysis method was phenomenological with the Mann-Wennon approach and with the help of 10MAXQDA software. Result: The analysis of the interview with Hamenger resulted in the extraction of three themes: trust in the doctor, limited independence, and fear of experiencing the unknown. a) The theme of trust in the doctor included the subgroups of despair, lack of self-confidence, overconfidence and caution in treatment, b) Limited independence: included self-neglect and information gap, c) Fear of experiencing the unknown which included the subgroups of the treatment system, lack of support and unfamiliar apprehension. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it can be said that most dialysis patients do not participate in choosing their dialysis type and the person who has the most influence on the issue of choosing the type of dialysis for patients is their doctor. It is suggested that before prescribing the type of dialysis for the patient, all the conditions and aspects of the patient for the type of dialysis should be considered and the unfamiliar and ambiguous issues of dialysis should be clarified and clarified for the patient by the treatment staff, especially the nurse.