May 26, 2025

Few studies explore the impact of peritoneal dialysis on peoples’ ability to do daily tasks and leisure activities

A recent analysis of previously published studies shows that very few account for or focus on how peritoneal dialysis (PD) impacts peoples’ ability to engage in the activities they enjoy, underscoring the need for additional research in this area.

PD is often preferred to hemodialysis at a clinic because it offers greater flexibility and freedom to patients. However, people on PD are still known to experience challenges with their “life participation" — meaning their ability to participate in valued life activities, including self-care, leisure, and work activities.

To gain a better understanding of the research that exists on this topic, Alexia Kateb and her colleagues at the University of Toronto’s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy conducted a review of more than 13,800 studies, finding only 17 relevant studies that have explored how to improve life participation while on PD.

Among these 17 studies, the vast majority focused only on personal-physical barriers that people on PD face, such as physical fitness or dialysis adequacy. In contrast, few studies targeted possible barriers such as cognitive impairments, mood disorders, and/or environmental barriers. The authors of the review also report a lack of validated assessments used to capture changes in life participation.

“Given that people on PD consider life participation to be one of the main goals of PD therapy and an indicator of treatment success that holistically encompasses what is important in their lives, greater efforts must be made to include life participation as a key trial outcome,” the authors say.