End-stage renal disease treatment modality and patients' quality of life. Longitudinal assessment.

Quality of life assessments were obtained at two 18-month follow-up intervals from 97 end-stage renal disease patients. Data were compared for three stable treatment groups (transplant, home hemodialysis, in-center hemodialysis) and for two transfer treatment groups (hemodialysis to transplant, hemodialysis to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). Home hemodialysis patients demonstrated the highest quality of life and lowest hospitalization rates over time. Transplant patients had higher employment and perceived health status but not necessarily higher subjective quality of life as compared to in-center hemodialysis patients, and transplant patients experienced more hospitalization. At follow-up, hemodialysis patients who obtained transplants assessed their quality of life as higher than did hemodialysis patients who went on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.