Stories and Statistics: A Mixed Method Study of Kidney Transplant Recipients' Lived Experiences and Quality of Life Outcomes

Abstract

Kidney transplantation is a life-saving intervention for individuals with end-stage renal disease. However, recovery involves complex and multidimensional adjustments. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of post–kidney transplant recipients and evaluate their quality-of-life outcomes across various dimensions. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, purposive sampling was used to gather narratives through semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. The findings revealed major themes, including reclaiming life and celebrating joy after transplant, as well as physical, psychological, emotional, socio-environmental, and financial dimensions, along with coping strategies. The findings from the qualitative phase served as the basis for the development of a researcher-designed questionnaire for the quantitative phase, which employed total enumeration sampling involving 52 respondents. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, weighted mean, and the Chi-square test at the 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed generally favorable quality-of-life outcomes among kidney transplant recipients. Moderate levels were observed in the physical, financial, and overall well-being dimensions, while high levels were noted in the psychosocial and emotional, socio-environmental, and coping strategy dimensions. Improvements following kidney transplantation were evident across most dimensions; however, financial aspects remained at a moderate level of improvement. Furthermore, no significant relationships were found between demographic variables and quality-of-life outcomes or the extent of improvement across the different dimensions, leading to the failure to reject the null hypotheses. The study concludes that recovery following kidney transplantation is holistic, highlighting the need for continued psychosocial and financial support. A healthcare guide primer was developed to promote sustained recovery among kidney transplant recipients.