Patient's needs in substitutive dialysis treatment - Some psyche-social and organizational considerations

Background. The observations here presented come from an action-research pr oject carried out at the Dialysis Centre of Ivrea, The work is focused on t he articulation between subjective (the felt experience) and objective vari ables (the structure and intervention typology) with the aim of understandi ng patient's needs from an organizational point of view Methods. A questionnaire to evaluate the needs of dialytic patients and the burden that these have on the health service and staff, was formulated by the nurses. Results. The results showed how the patient's clinical history indicate, si gnificantly, not only personal and subjective aspects (e.g, interpersonal r elationships), but also how they construct their relationships with the hos pital and its services (including the hospital staff). Conclusions. Data open up certain reflections on what role communication an d information play within the hospital structure. Efficient communication c ontributes both to reduce the anxiety level and to improve the organization al climate therefore Influencing service quality.