'End stage kidney disease' a mystery to some patients
The language doctors use around renal health is often misunderstood and can cause unnecessary concern, study finds
Many patients don't understand terms like 'end-stage kidney disease' which adds to their distress and even trauma when discussing renal health with doctors, a small study suggests.
Researchers conducted focus groups with 54 patients with chronic kidney disease and 13 family caregivers from Australia, the UK and US.
The goal was to determine how well participants understood, and how they felt when they heard, a variety of terms related to their diagnosis including: kidney, renal, chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, kidney failure