{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T22:46:27Z","timestamp":1787957187245,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,2]],"date-time":"2025-05-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746144000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\nBackground<\/jats:title>\nThe number of patients with chronic kidney disease requiring hemodialysis services is growing in Tanzania. Considering patients undergoing hemodialysis are outpatients, family caregivers fill the gap of caring and support during the lifelong treatment process. Limited information exists especially in the context of Tanzania regarding the challenges the family caregivers encounter during their involvement in the caring process. This study aimed to explore family caregivers\u2019 experience of caring for patients undergoing hemodialysis at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nMethods<\/jats:title>\nA qualitative study employing phenomenological design was conducted. Fourteen family caregivers of patients receiving hemodialysis services at Muhimbili National Hospital were purposively selected. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used for data collection. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed following Braun and Clarke\u2019s six phases of thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nResults<\/jats:title>\nThe study uncovered four key themes from fourteen interviews. The themes were: 1) Family caregivers and providers\u2019 interaction, focusing on interpersonal and professional relationships 2) The status of dialysis treatment, describing access and availability of resources for the provision of hemodialysis services 3) Impact of long-term care, touching issues of emotional, physical and social-economic impact to family members and 4) Coping with caring, describing internal and external mechanisms family members use to adjust to demanding situation of caring their loved ones.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nConclusion<\/jats:title>\nCaring for patients receiving hemodialysis treatment burdens family caregivers, impacting their livelihood and resources. Healthcare providers need to build a close working relationship with family caregivers to understand their challenges and needs and help build their coping capacities. Additionally, dialysis service coverage issues such as affordability, accessibility, and availability need to be addressed to reduce the caring burden on family caregivers.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0321732","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,2]],"date-time":"2025-05-02T17:22:13Z","timestamp":1746206533000},"page":"e0321732","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Family caregivers\u2019 experience of caring for patients undergoing hemodialysis: A qualitative study at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Ally Halfan","family":"Magenge","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5468-1134","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Menti Lastone","family":"Ndile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2668-3041","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Francis","family":"Furia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,2]]},"reference":[{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0321732.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"473","DOI":"10.1038\/s41581-024-00820-6","article-title":"Chronic kidney disease and the global public health agenda: an international consensus","volume":"20","author":"A Francis","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat Rev Nephrol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0321732.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"636","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-21851-z","article-title":"Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease and its underlying etiologies from 1990 to 2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021","volume":"25","author":"L Deng","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0321732.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1186\/s12882-023-03109-1","article-title":"The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in South Africa - 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