Abstract: Objective  The currently used scales for the assessment of quality of life in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are systematically reviewed and evaluated, so as to provide references for clinical studies of quality of life in these patients.  Methods  We searched for the scales of quality of life for ESRD patients published in Chinese literature in the CNKI database since 2010. The characteristics and application status of these scales were then assessed.  Results There are 6 quality of life scales for ESRD patients, in which the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and the kidney disease quality of life-short form (KDQOL-SF) are widely used. SF-36 is a universal scale with the advantages of smaller size, flexible, and short evaluation time, and its application rate is 63.9%. However, SF-36 lacks the evaluation of kidney disease related quality of life. KDQOL-SF is a specific scale for kidney disease and dialysis patients, but KDQOL-SF has 79 items and takes longer examination time.  Conclusion  The scale for study of the quality of life in ESRD patients should be selected based on the purpose of the study, the sample size, and the compliance degree of the patients.

Key words: End-stage renal disease, Dialysis, Quality of life, Scale