Doctoral Thesis defense: The mixed-method assessment of patients’ experience to improve care health services: the case of patients with chronic kidney disease.  

We congratulate Brian Florez, who on July 11 defended his doctoral thesis that gives title to this news. With an outstanding grade he thus obtains his title as a Doctor. Congratulations on your achievement and we wish you the best in your future projects!

Here a summary of the work presented:  The research underscores the importance of service quality in healthcare, par cularly for chronic kidney disease (CKD) pa ents. Service quality goes beyond clinical competence to include pa ent sa sfac on, health outcomes, and well-being. Key variables influencing healthcare quality are pa ent safety, efficacy, and experience. Pa ent experience is essen al for treatment adherence, engagement, and sa sfac on, making standardized evalua on methods crucial.

Understanding experience pa ent is par cularly important in CKD due to the disease's chronic and evolving nature. This research aims to propose a conceptual model for evalua ng pa ent experience across CKD stages by integra ng systema c reviews and pa ent journey mapping (PJM). The model encourages personalized, pa ent-centred care by adap ng to the needs and preferences of CKD pa ents at different stages.

The study found care coordina on to be crucial, especially in advanced CKD stages, requiring integrated healthcare services. The successful implementa on of PJM in Spain demonstrated its effec veness and cultural adaptability, sugges ng its broader applica on. Involving pa ents in developing evalua on tools ensures relevance and cultural appropriateness.

Our research provides valuable qualita ve data, highligh ng gaps and laying the groundwork for future studies. The findings emphasize the need for responsive, pa ent-centred care approaches to improve the healthcare experience for CKD pa ents.