Financial Hardships in End Stage Kidney Disease Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis: A prospective cross-sectional study.

More than 2 million people have been diagnosed and treated with life-sustaining dialysis therapy worldwide. Financial hardship is a common challenge among patients with kidney failure on maintenance hemodialysis (mHD) and may have negative overall health consequences. This study aims to evaluate the financial hardships faced by patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) on mHD. Patients in the hemodialysis unit on maintenance hemodialysis who fulfills the study inclusion criteria will be explained about study procedure by the study investigator. Patients will be enrolled in the study after obtaining a written informed consent from eligible study participants in the language best understood by them. The COST FACIT questionnaire will be a self administered tool used to assess financial distress of patient/ family caregiver. The patients and/or primary earning member of the family or person who is aware of the financial expenditures related to patients dialysis will be interviewed by the primary investigator for information about the financial aspects of patient care using a structured interview guide to estimate the actual direct and indirect cost of dialysis.