Abstract: Objective To investigate the status and influencing factors of medical service experiences among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.  Methods  A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted on outpatient MHD patients treated in the Hemodialysis Center of Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University from December 2023 to March 2024. A self-developed questionnaire was used to evaluate the medical service experiences in the MHD patients. Demographic and clinical data were also collected. The correlations between medical service experiences of the patients and factors including sociological characteristics, psychological factors, comorbidities, dialysis duration, dialysis-related complications, and health education were analyzed.  Results  A total of 127 patients were included in this study. The medical service experience questionnaire found that the dimension of respect for patient preferences had the lowest rate of problems (average 10.6%). In contrast, higher rates of problems were obtained in the dimensions of emotional support (44.1%), trust (48.0%), and continuity of care (37.8%). In the patients with better medical service experiences (n=69), the proportions of having diet education (85.5% vs. 46.6%, χ2=21.874, P＜0.001) and vascular access education (85.5% vs. 53.4%, χ2=15.687, P＜0.001) were higher, as compared those with bad medical service experiences (n=58).  Conclusion  The medical service experiences in MHD patients needs to be improved, especially in the dimensions of emotional support, trust, and continuity of treatment. Health education plays an important role in improving patient's experiences in hemodialysis center.

Key words: Hemodialysis, Medical service experience, Influencing factor