Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies reporting the impact of COVID-19 in CKD
| Study ID | Country | N patients | N caregivers | Kidney Disease Stage |
Population | Age (years) | Methodological framework | Data collection | Data Analysis | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antoun 2021 (23) | UK | 20 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | >18 | Phenomenology | Semi-structured telephone interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences with telehealth |
| Arevalo Iraheta 2021 * (48) | US | 111 | - | Tx | Transplant recipients | Not stated | Mixed method | Open and closed-ended questions | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences |
| Arevalo Iraheta 2022 (17) | US | Not stated only for people with CKD | - | HD and TX | Dialysis and kidney transplant patients | 54.5 | Mixed method | Semi-structured telephone interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences; economic issues |
| Beaudet 2022 (16) | Canada | 28 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | 40-99 | Mixed method | Open and closed-ended questions | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences |
| Bonenkamp 2021 (49) | Netherlands | Not stated | - | HD and PD | Dialysis patients | >18 | Mixed method | Open and closed-ended questions | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences |
| Cuevas-Budhart 2022 (20) | Mexico | 29 | - | PD | Dialysis patients | 45±17 | Phenomenology | Semi-structured telephone interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences with telehealth; skepticism about the infection |
| Danton 2022 (15) | UK | 14 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | >30 | Qualitative research | Semi-structured telephone or videocall interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences |
| Davis 2022 (32) | Canada | 40 (overall, including both patients and caregivers) | HD and PD | Home dialysis patients and caregivers | 53±12 | Mixed method | Open and closed-ended questions | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences with home dialysis | |
| Figueiredo 2021 * (50) | Portugal | 9 | 9 | HD | Dialysis patients | Patients: 65±13; caregivers: 52±19 | Qualitative research | Semi-structured interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences |
| Fortin 2021 * (51) | Canada | 20 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | Not stated | Qualitative research | Semi-structured interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences with telehealth |
| Gordon 2022 * (52) | US | 26 | - | Tx | Transplant recipient | Not stated | Qualitative research | Semi-structured telephone interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences; racial stigmatization |
| Guha 2021 (22) | Australia | 22 | 4 | Tx | Transplant recipients, caregiver and potential donors |
>18 | Qualitative research | Online focus group | Thematic analysis | Perspectives on the suspension and resumption of kidney transplant programs |
| Haokip 2020 (53) | India | 1 | - | Tx | Transplant recipient | 40 years old | Qualitative case report | Phone interviews | Not stated | Psychosocial impacts |
| Heyck Lee 2022 (26) | Canada | 234 | - | CKD | CKD patients | >35 | Mixed method | Telephone open-ended questions | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences with telehealth |
| Huuskes 2021 (27) | Australia | 34 | - | Tx | Transplant recipients | >18 | Qualitative research | Online focus group | Thematic analysis | Telehealth |
| John 2021 * (54) | India | Not stated only for people included in the qualitative analysis | - | CKD | All stages of CKD patients (including ESKD) | 46±13 | Mixed method | Semi-structured telephone interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences with telehealth |
| Kanavaki 2021 * (55) |
UK | 230 | 67 | CKD (non-dialysis) | Non-dialysis patients and caregivers | Patients: 64±14; caregivers: not stated | Mixed method | Survey with open-ended responses | Not stated | Perspectives on support needed during Covid-19 |
| Lunney 2021 (56) | Canada | 8 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | 38-72 | Mixed method | Video interview | Not stated | Virtual clinic |
| Malo 2022 (21) | Canada | 22 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | 61±17 | Qualitative Research | Semi-structured telephone or videoconference interview | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences |
| McKeaveney 2021 (25) | UK | 44 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | >25 | Mixed method | Survey with open-ended responses | Thematic analysis | Psychosocial well-being |
| McKeaveney 2022 (57) | UK | 23 | - | Tx | Transplant recipients | 49 (mean) | Phenomenology | Semi-structured telephone or videoconference interviews | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences |
| Ng 2021 * (58) | US | 28 | 14 | CKD and caregivers | CKD (stages 4-5 including transplant recipients) and caregivers | >18 | Qualitative Research | Semi-structured interview | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences with telehealth |
| Porteny 2021 and Porteny 2022 ˆ (24, 59) | US | 39 | 17 | CKD and caregivers | CKD (stages 4-5, including dialysis) and caregivers | Patients:>70; caregivers: >40 | Qualitative Research | Semi-structured interview | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences |
| Rivera 2021 * (60) | US | 32 | - | CKD (non-dialysis) | CKD stages 1-4 | >45 (mean 67) | Mixed method | Semi-structured interview | Thematic analysis | Impact of COVID-19 |
| Schmidt 2021 * (61) | US | 12 | - | ESKD | Dialysis patients | 56±14 | Ethnographic | Semi-structured remote interview | Grounded theory and dimensional narrative analysis | Impact of COVID-19; experiences; economic issues; racial stigmatization |
| Sousa 2021 (18) | Portugal | 20 | - | HD | Dialysis patients | 67±12 | Qualitative Research | Semi-structured interview | Thematic analysis | Impact treatment related; health behaviors |
| Sousa 2022 (14) | Portugal | - | 19 | HD | Caregivers | 51±14 | Mixed method | Semi-structured phone interview | Thematic analysis | Experiences of family caregivers |
| Tsapepas 2021 (28) | US | 320 | - | Tx | Transplant recipients | >18 | Qualitative summary | Semi-structured phone interview | Not stated | Perspective on COVID-19 vaccination |
| Tse 2021 (19) | UK | 78 | 197 | Long-term kidney conditions | Young adults with CKD and caregivers | Patients: 18-30 caregivers: 21-60 | Mixed methods | Survey qualitative and video conference focus groups | Thematic analysis | Experience and support needs |
| Valson 2022 (31) | India | 9 | - | HD | HD patients | >18 | Mixed method | Semi-structured in-depth interview | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences |
| Van Zanten 2021 * (62) |
Italy | 153 | - | Tx | Transplant recipients | Not stated | Observational | Interview and follow up online questionnaires | Not stated | COVID-19 impact on daily lives, emotions and behaviors |
| Varsi 2021 (63) | Norway | 15 | - | Tx | Transplant recipients | 37–64 (mean 53) | Qualitative summary | Semi-structured interview | Thematic analysis | Telehealth (limited concepts related to the telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic) |
| Wang 2022 (29) | US | - | Not stated only for parent of children with CKD | Caregivers | Parents of children with kidney disease (kidney transplant, kidney failure treated by dialysis, or with CKD) | >18 | Mixed method | Semi-structured in-depth interview | Thematic analysis | COVID-19 vaccine |
| Yoon 2023 (30) | Singapore | 14 | - | Patients with CKD | CKD patients | >21 | Mixed method | Opened-ended questions (phone or online) | Thematic analysis | Impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions; experiences |
Abbreviations and definitions: UK, United Kingdom; US, United States; HD, hemodialysis; Tx, transplant; CKD, chronic kidney disease; ESKD, end-stage kidney disease; * abstract only; ˆ two publications have been published