Quality of life, coping and concerns in Chinese patients after renal transplantation

Abstract 

This study aims to identify the coping methods used by patients to deal with stress after renal transplantation and to assess patients' perceived quality of life at two different time intervals after the transplant. The study conducted in one transplant centre in Hong Kong and 101 survivors participated. The Chinese Coping Scale (CCS) and the Hong Kong Chinese version of the WHOQOL scale were used together with an open question inquiring about stressors or concerns experienced by patients posttransplant. The results revealed that the main stressors identified were fear of rejection, compliance with medication and side-effects of medication, uncertainty about the future, fear of infection and the cost factor. Not statistically significant differences were found in all the CCS subscales measuring internal coping or external coping between patients within one year posttransplant (n=23) and patients more than one year posttransplant (n=78). Overall, patients used more internal locus of coping to deal with stress. Not statistically significant differences were also found in all the quality of life subscales between the two groups of patients. The results showed that quality of life was moderate in the Chinese renal transplant patients in Hong Kong. The findings of this study would enable renal nurses to design interventions to help transplant recipients to cope with the demands of life with a renal graft.

Keywords: Renal transplantation, Quality of life, Coping, Chinese