Living with chronic renal failure: patients' experiences of their physical and functional capacity

Several studies have shown that patients with chronic renal failure have reduced physical exercise capacity compared with the expected norm. There are, however, few qualitative studies showing ways in which patients experience their condition in terms of physical and functional capacity, and the limitations this imposes on their daily lives. The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse ways in which patients with chronic renal failure, in the pre-dialysis phase and patients undergoing haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, experienced their physical and functional capacity in their daily lives.

Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, which were then analysed according to a contextual analysis within a phenomenographic approach.

Analysis yielded a system of categories describing patients' experiences of mental and physical fatigue, physical and functional capacity, in terms of effect on performance and endurance, and their experience of temporal stress, in terms of lack of time as well as lack of peace in their daily lives.

The results of the study will contribute to our understanding of how these patients experience their daily lives, and will help when meeting patients with chronic renal failure. This knowledge enables physiotherapists to focus rehabilitation training on problem areas that are important to patients themselves.