The Emotions of Post-renal Transplant Patients and Effects on their Lifestyle after the Start of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The aim of this research was to clarify post-renal transplant patients’ emotions and the effects on their lifestyle after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine post-renal transplant patients and were analyzed qualitatively. Emotions were categorized into eight categories, with “Fluctuating feelings over continuing immunosuppressants,” and “Feeling reassured about the usefulness of post-renal operative self-management skills,” and “Positive perceptions due to abundant experience as patient in past” particular to post-renal transplant patients. Effects on lifestyles were categorized into four categories, among these, “Prioritizing infection prevention in business and personal life resulting in changes in lifestyle and interpersonal relationships” includes weight gain, which indicate it was an effect that may contribute to decreased function in a transplanted kidney.

Interventions by health care providers, such as early provision of information specifically for post-renal transplant patients, support to maintain medication adherence for patient anxious about infection, timely updates to the content of patient education, preparation of a consulting system which limits fear of infection are necessary in the case of a future emerging outbreak.