Abstract:
The main aim of this study was to establish patients/family and healthcare
practitioners’ perception on palliative care as alternative to dialysis in the
treatment of End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) in Kumasi Metropolis. A
descriptive qualitative with phenomenological overtone research design was
used for this study. A purposive sampling technique was used to obtain 17
participants (8 health care practitioners, 6 patients and 3 family members) out
of 30 healthcare practitioners and 32 patients in all the three centres in Kumasi
Metropolis. The respondents’ perception on palliative care as alternative to
dialysis in the management of ESKD was evaluated using face to face
interview. The findings of the study indicated most respondents elaborated
that, palliative care is the treatment given to patients whose disease is not
responsive to curative treatment. Most of the respondents perceived that
patients’ living with chronic diseases will die but to promote peaceful death,
quality of life should be offered through palliative care. It is concluded that at
the advanced stage of ESKD where dialysis will not improve quality of life,
palliative nursing care is the alternative treatment to dialysis in the
management of ESKD. It is recommended that treatment options should be
made available for patient/family to make informed choice. Palliative care as
an alternative management for ESKD should be part of the treatment options
in the management of all patients/family with ESKD.
