What patients and care partners want in a wearable dialysis device: a mixed-methods study

Few studies have explored the similarities and differences between patients' and care partners' perspectives in terms of their ideal dialysis procedure and desired outcomes. As part of a project to improve the quality of life of patients with end-stage renal disease, we elicited unbiased feedback from both patients and care partners regarding the design of a wearable dialysis device tailored to meet users' clinical needs. We interviewed 24 hemodialysis patients and 12 hemodialysis care partners using a mixed-methods approach of open-ended and rank-order questions. Inductive content analysis showed that both patients and care partners preferred a wearable dialysis device that a patient could carry on their upper body, particularly on their back or shoulder, or wear as a vest. Analysis of responses to the rank-order questions showed a significant preference for a vest design. Operational simplicity and compactness were the attributes most frequently mentioned in response to the open-ended questions, while the accuracy of the device was ranked as significantly more important than ease of attachment, comfort, simplicity, size, or invisibility in response to the rank-order questions. The findings from this study will help to ensure that new wearable dialysis devices are designed in accordance with patients' and care partners' preferences.