Insuffisance rénale chronique et hémodialyse à Lomé: l´hémodialysé et son entourage sont-ils bien informés?

End stage renal failure requires substitution therapy, including hemodialysis. Before initiation, patients and their entourage receive information on renal disease and treatment options. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of knowledge as well as the opinion of patients on haemodialysis and of their entourage on chronic kidney disease and substitution therapies. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study in the Department of Haemodialysis at the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital (CHU-SO) from 29 July to 19 August 2020. The study population was composed by all the haemodialysis patients in the Department of Haemodialysis at the CHU-SO and by their accompanying persons who gave their free and informed consent. Anonymous survey was used to collect data. Data collection and statistical analysis were carried out using the Epi Info software 7.2.2.6. Eighty-one patients and 79 accompanying persons were interviewed. The average ages of patients and their accompanying persons were 49.7 years ± 13.5 and 39,6years ± 13.2 respectively. All patients knew their disease and 94% of accompanying persons were informed about their parents' disease. Hemodialysis was considered very expensive by 95.1% of patients. Patients stated that improved quality of life was the most known benefit of hemodialysis (80.2%) while 15% also thought that renal transplantation was equally effective. The majority of accompanying persons (85%) stated that hemodialysis was the best treatment. Haemodialysis education program for patients and their accompanying persons is essential to better overall management of haemodialysis patients.