Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary
Rationale & Objective: Dialysis organizations’ websites may influence patient decision making, but the websites have received almost no consideration. We investigated how/whether these websites present all kidney replacement therapy options and how the quality of life of these options is por...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Kidney Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059522000759 |
| _version_ | 1811250236868263936 |
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| author | Rebecca Jane Allen Fahad Saeed |
| author_facet | Rebecca Jane Allen Fahad Saeed |
| author_sort | Rebecca Jane Allen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rationale & Objective: Dialysis organizations’ websites may influence patient decision making, but the websites have received almost no consideration. We investigated how/whether these websites present all kidney replacement therapy options and how the quality of life of these options is portrayed. Study Design: Content analysis using corpus linguistics (computer-assisted language analysis). Setting: Website content aimed at patients from the 2 major dialysis organizations’ websites, totaling 226,968 words. The analysis took place from November 12, 2020, to March 30, 2021. Analytical Approach: We used linguistic software (AntConc) to document the frequencies of words needed to present treatment options and quality of life information. Results: Over both sites, dialysis mentions outstripped transplantation mentions. Organization A did not appear to reference conservative kidney management. Organization B mentioned dialysis more often than conservative management, at a ratio of 34:1. Organization A did not attribute symptoms to dialysis, whereas organization B had 12 mentions of dialysis-induced symptoms out of 87 total symptom references. Both organizations framed life on dialysis optimistically, suggesting that patients can continue to engage in “work,” “sex,” or “travel”; organization A referenced sex, work, and/or travel 123 times and organization B referenced these 262 times. Limitations: We used quantitative analysis and linked ideas with certain keywords. We did not conduct a detailed qualitative inquiry. Conclusions: The websites emphasized dialysis as a treatment for kidney failure, and the quality of life on dialysis was framed very optimistically. Qualitative studies of treatment modalities and the quality of life on dialysis in the patient-targeted material of dialysis organizations are needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:01:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8bac97d4a1f948dca32a65c1e8fbc35e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-0595 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:01:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Kidney Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-8bac97d4a1f948dca32a65c1e8fbc35e2022-12-22T03:26:11ZengElsevierKidney Medicine2590-05952022-06-0146100462Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language SummaryRebecca Jane Allen0Fahad Saeed1Center for IT Engagement (cITe), Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, Ohio; Address for Correspondence: Rebecca Allen, PhD, Center for IT Engagement (cITe), Mount St Joseph University, 5701 Delhi Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45233.Department of Medicine and Department of Public Health, Division of Nephrology, Division of Palliative Care, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New YorkRationale & Objective: Dialysis organizations’ websites may influence patient decision making, but the websites have received almost no consideration. We investigated how/whether these websites present all kidney replacement therapy options and how the quality of life of these options is portrayed. Study Design: Content analysis using corpus linguistics (computer-assisted language analysis). Setting: Website content aimed at patients from the 2 major dialysis organizations’ websites, totaling 226,968 words. The analysis took place from November 12, 2020, to March 30, 2021. Analytical Approach: We used linguistic software (AntConc) to document the frequencies of words needed to present treatment options and quality of life information. Results: Over both sites, dialysis mentions outstripped transplantation mentions. Organization A did not appear to reference conservative kidney management. Organization B mentioned dialysis more often than conservative management, at a ratio of 34:1. Organization A did not attribute symptoms to dialysis, whereas organization B had 12 mentions of dialysis-induced symptoms out of 87 total symptom references. Both organizations framed life on dialysis optimistically, suggesting that patients can continue to engage in “work,” “sex,” or “travel”; organization A referenced sex, work, and/or travel 123 times and organization B referenced these 262 times. Limitations: We used quantitative analysis and linked ideas with certain keywords. We did not conduct a detailed qualitative inquiry. Conclusions: The websites emphasized dialysis as a treatment for kidney failure, and the quality of life on dialysis was framed very optimistically. Qualitative studies of treatment modalities and the quality of life on dialysis in the patient-targeted material of dialysis organizations are needed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059522000759Conservative kidney managementcorpus linguisticsdialysisdialysis organizationsinformed dialysis decision makingkidney transplantation |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca Jane Allen Fahad Saeed Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary Kidney Medicine Conservative kidney management corpus linguistics dialysis dialysis organizations informed dialysis decision making kidney transplantation |
| title | Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary |
| title_full | Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary |
| title_fullStr | Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary |
| title_short | Dialysis Organization Online Information on Kidney Failure Treatments: A Content Analysis Using Corpus LinguisticsPlain-Language Summary |
| title_sort | dialysis organization online information on kidney failure treatments a content analysis using corpus linguisticsplain language summary |
| topic | Conservative kidney management corpus linguistics dialysis dialysis organizations informed dialysis decision making kidney transplantation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059522000759 |
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