Keywords: Dialysis; Graft function; Health-related quality of life; Kidney transplant; Patient-reported outcome measures.
People with kidney failure often need treatment to replace kidney function, such as dialysis or a kidney transplant. Transplant recipients generally report better quality of life than those who are on dialysis. However, some people have poor kidney function after receiving a transplant, and it is unclear how this is linked to their quality of life.In this study we categorized transplant recipients as having either good or poor kidney function and compared their quality of life to that of patients on dialysis. We measured quality of life using physical and mental health summary scores from a questionnaire called the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29 + 2 profile.We found that most transplant recipients reported better quality of life than patients on dialysis. However, transplant recipients with poor kidney function had comparable quality of life to those on dialysis. We also found that the summary scores used are valid tools for measuring quality of life in people with kidney failure.These findings highlight the importance of preserving kidney graft function after kidney transplant.