Adesão à terapia na doença renal crônica: desafios percebidos pelos profissionais de hemodiálise

Abstract

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a public health problem that affects millions globally. This study aims to investigate the barriers faced by patients with CKD during hemodialysis (HD) treatment, as seen by professionals in the field. The study included 51 health professionals, of both sexes, aged at least 18 years, who work in the hemodialysis sector in hospitals in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Among professionals, 41.2% identified a higher incidence of CKD in patients aged between 51 and 60 years. Furthermore, 64.7% of these patients are low-income. The main diseases associated with CKD are diabetes mellitus (80.4%), metabolic diseases (47.1%) and obesity (39.2%). Only 27.5% of professionals say that patients complete the treatment. After the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 54.9% observed an increase in the number of patients and 86.3% highlighted the difficulty in finding donors as the main barrier.  It is concluded that the majority of HD patients are low-income, which increases the challenges for the multidisciplinary team in the search for resources and guidance to avoid abandoning treatment.