Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of Patients Undergoing Dialysis: A Literature Review.

Introduction: Dialysis is a long-term treatment for chronic kidney failure. Family caregivers play a significant role in the care of patients undergoing dialysis. The quality of life (QoL) of family caregivers is related to the quality of care provided to patients undergoing dialysis. Objectives: This recent literature review aimed to synthesize the QoL experienced by caregivers of family members undergoing dialysis. Method: This literature review employed four online databases, including SCOPUS, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. The extracted articles were further screened on the basis of the PRISMA guidelines. In this review, articles were selected on the basis of the following eligibility criteria: double-blind peer-reviewed articles, articles written in English language and published between 1 January 2013 and January 2023. This review used thematic synthesis. Results: Four analytical themes emerged, including physical capacity, social relations, psychological state, and environment. All of these themes correspond to the dimensions of QoL. Conclusion: The QoL of family caregivers of patients undergoing dialysis must be considered. A good QoL of these caregivers will improve the balance of life and further increase the ability and quality of care they provide for family members undergoing dialysis.

Family caregivers' perspective of caring for cancer patients during radiotherapy: A qualitative study.

Objectives: To explore the perspective of family caregivers of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Method: The descriptive, qualitative study was conducted at the Indonesia Cancer Foundation, Surabaya, Indonesia, in July and August 2019, and comprised family caregivers of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Data was collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews which were recorded, transcribed and analysed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Of the 26 caregivers aged 24-65 years, 16(62%) were men, 19(73%) were married, and 14(56%) had close relationships with the patients. Among the patients, 4(15.4%) had breast cancer, 2(7.6%) had nasopharyngeal cancer and 20(77%) had cervical cancer. The themes identified were uncertainty, disintegration and burden. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of cancer patients tended to have both physical and emotional challenges.

Challenges for Healthcare Workers Caring for COVID-19 Patients in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study.

COVID-19 pandemic raises various challenges faced by health workers in hospitals. This study explored strategies for overcoming challenges in caring for COVID-19 patients at hospitals in Indonesia based on healthcare workers' experience. In-depth interviews were employed with 28 healthcare workers (physicians and nurses) who were purposively sampled. Data were collected via phone and analysed using the Colaizzi method. Five following challenges were found: difficulties in working with personal protective equipment (PPE), offline training for handling Covid and using PPE not being implemented evenly for all health workers, physical and psychological fatigue, difficulties in carrying out health education and assessment towards patients and families, and limited resources to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, some barriers require support from the government, public and hospital managers. The information gained from research on the strategies for caring for COVID-19 patients can contribute to better preparedness for hospitals and health workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic.