The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With CKD: Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

Rationale & Objective: COVID-19 disproportionately affects people with comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). We describe the impact of COVID-19 on people with CKD and their caregivers.Study Design: A systematic review of qualitative studies.Setting & Study Populations: Primary studies that reported the experiences and perspectives of adults with CKD and/or caregivers were eligible.Search Strategy & Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL searched from database inception to October 2022.Data Extraction: Two authors independently screened the search results. Full texts of potentially relevant studies were assessed for eligibility. Any discrepancies were resolved by discussion with another author. Analytical Approach: A thematic synthesis was used to analyze the data.Results: Thirty-four studies involving 1,962 participants were included. Four themes were identified: exacerbating vulnerability and distress (looming threat of COVID-19 infection, intensifying isolation, aggravating pressure on families); uncertainty in accessing health care (overwhelmed by disruption of care, confused by lack of reliable information, challenged by adapting to telehealth, skeptical about vaccine efficacy and safety); coping with self-management (waning fitness due to decreasing physical activity, diminishing ability to manage diet, difficulty managing fluid restrictions, minimized burden with telehealth, motivating confidence and autonomy); and strengthening sense of safety and support (protection from lockdown restrictions, increasing trust in care, strengthened family connection). Limitations: Non-English studies were excluded, and inability to delineate themes based on stage of kidney and treatment modality.Conclusions: Uncertainty in accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated vulnerability, emotional distress, and burden, and led to reduced capacity to self-manage among patients with CKD and their caregivers. Optimizing telehealth and access to educational and psychosocial support may improve self-management and the quality and effectiveness of care during a pandemic, mitigating potentially catastrophic consequences for people with CKD.