Introduction:

Clinical outcomes are more influenced by the active role of the patient in self-care than by professional qualifications. Therefore, it is important to capture the patient’s experience to enhance the quality of care.

Objetives:

To evaluate the renal patient’s experience with the care provided by healthcare professionals.

Material and Method:

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with hemodialysis patients and those attending the Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease consultation. The Patient Experience Assessment Instrument, comprising 15 items rated from 0 (worst) to 10 (best experience), measuring three factors: productive interactions, patient self-management, and a new relational model, was administered. Data were analyzed using R software.

Results:

A total of 76 patients were included. The patient experience score (items 1-11) was 6.68±1.41 points, with scores for each factor being: “productive interactions” (9.00±1.37 points), “patient self-management” (7.80±1.78 points), and “new relational model” (1.86±2.01 points). Items 12-15 received low scores with average values between 2-4 points. When comparing clinic and hemodialysis patients, the hemodialysis group scored lower in the “patient self-management” (p=0.01) and “new relational model” (p=0.03) factors. Additionally, regarding items 12-15, a lower score was obtained in the “continuing care following admission/emergency” item (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

The renal patient’s experience is positive in interactions with healthcare professionals and in self-care management. However, there are areas for improvement, such as the use of digital technology, sharing experiences with peers, and post-acute episode health monitoring.