Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important aspect of patients´ health that should be an integral part of the evaluation of patient-centered outcomes, not least because HRQOL associates with patients´ morbidity and mortality. This applies also to chronic kidney disease patients, including those dependent on renal replacement therapies, the type of which may influence patients´ perception of HRQOL. Several studies have addressed HRQOL in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing renal replacement therapies, especially transplanted patients and hemodialysis patients, while publications concerning peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are scarcer. This review describes some of the methods used to assess HRQOL, factors influencing HRQOL in PD patients, HRQOL in PD vs hemodialysis, and the relation between HRQOL and patient outcomes. We conclude that assessment of HRQOL-often neglected at present-should be included as a standard measure of patient-centered outcomes and when monitoring the quality and effectiveness of renal care including PD treatment.
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