{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T19:02:02Z","timestamp":1770836522112,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Dialysis adequacy (Kt\/V) remains an essential marker of hemodialysis quality; however, it does not fully capture patients\u2019 overall well-being. Growing evidence underscores the need for a more holistic, patient-centered approach that integrates clinical efficiency with factors affecting daily functioning and quality of life (QoL). Objectives: This study aimed to identify the key determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Polish patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: Seventy hemodialysis patients from a single center completed the KDQOL-36 questionnaire and provided demographic and clinical data. Statistical analyses included Pearson\u2019s and Spearman\u2019s correlations, as well as multiple linear regression, to determine predictors of HRQoL. Results: The mean (SD) KDQOL summary score was 60.9 (17.3). Pain (B = \u221215.9, p &lt; 0.001) and the need for additional dialysis sessions (B = \u221210.2, p = 0.008) were the strongest independent predictors of poorer HRQoL, collectively accounting for 28.6% of variance. Longer dialysis-related transportation time (r = \u22120.238, p = 0.03) and longer hemodialysis vintage (r = \u22120.254, p = 0.03) were also significantly associated with lower HRQoL, while dialysis adequacy showed no significant effect. Conclusions: Pain, additional dialysis sessions, and longer dialysis-related transportation time are key, modifiable contributors to reduced HRQoL in Polish hemodialysis patients. These findings underscore the importance of a patient-centered approach that supplements clinical measures with interventions targeting comfort, education, and accessibility. Incorporating structured pain management and improved transport into routine nephrology practice can meaningfully improve patient QoL.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15041423","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T17:45:36Z","timestamp":1770831936000},"page":"1423","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Beyond Dialysis Adequacy: Transportation Time and Pain as Quality-of-Life Predictors in Polish Hemodialysis Patients\u2014A Single-Center Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-2601-3313","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stanis\u0142aw","family":"R\u0105czewski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-1530-4392","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Weronika","family":"Caban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-3763-070X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Natalia","family":"Lemiszewska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-0110-3505","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miko\u0142aj","family":"Kuncewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7490-2072","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Magdalena","family":"Mosakowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8535-2061","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ewa","family":"Kotwica-Strza\u0142ek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Descriptive and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8151-860X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stanis\u0142aw","family":"Niemczyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e097506","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-097506","article-title":"Impact of mental health status and clinical factors on health-related quality of life in patients undergoing haemodialysis: A multicentre cross-sectional study","volume":"15","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1099","DOI":"10.1016\/S0149-2918(00)80087-9","article-title":"Development of subscales from the symptoms\/problems and effects of kidney disease scales of the kidney disease quality of life instrument","volume":"22","author":"Rao","year":"2000","journal-title":"Clin. 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