Kidney patients during the coronavirus pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic means that everybody, and especially kidney patients, has a few extra things to keep in mind. We have listed these for you below. In this way, we work to achieve a safe home and hospital environment.

Things to keep in mind at home

1. Always maintain sufficient distance (1.5 m) and avoid contact with others.

Avoid non-essential trips on public transport.
Do your shopping outside peak times.

2. Regularly check your temperature.

If your temperature is higher than 37.5°C and/or you have symptoms, you must contact your dialysis centre to make specific arrangements for your next dialysis procedure.
You can telephone us on +32 (0)9 246 95 50 or +32 (0)9 246 88 00.

3. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Use a disposable tissue for this and immediately throw it in a bin.

4. Touch your mask as little as possible, and only by holding the elastic loops.

5. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water.

Things to keep in mind regarding dialysis transport

Wash and sanitise your hands before getting into the car.
Always wear a mask covering your nose and mouth during transport. When used correctly, the mask always covers both your nose and your mouth.
Is somebody wearing their mask incorrectly? Do feel that you can challenge them on this.
Keep your personal belongings (e.g. hand bag) on your lap.
Touch as little as possible inside the car.

Download the leaflet below about the correct use of masks.

Mask covering nose and mouth when in the hospital

Download

Things to keep in mind at the hospital

Always wear a correct mask covering nose and mouth when in the hospital.
Wash and sanitise your hands before and after each visit to our hospital.
Always maintain sufficient distance (1.5 m) in the waiting room and on the ward.

Upon arrival in the Dialysis Ward, replace your mask and then wash your hands.
Report any symptoms while the dialysis staff checks your temperature.
Sanitise your hands again upon arrival at your dialysis area.

Patient survey for the dialysis centre: the results

To improve the services at our dialysis centre, we organised a digital survey at the beginning of the year with the aid of BING Research. We wanted to find out what our strengths are, but also where we can still make improvements.

There were 109 patients who were willing to participate in the survey. Thanks!

Overall satisfaction

In the patient survey, we asked, ‘How satisfied are you in general with the dialysis centre?’ You could give a score here, ranging from ‘0’ for not at all satisfied to ‘10’ for very satisfied. Of the participating patients, 67% gave us a score of 9 of 10!

Highest scores

Parking options near the Dialysis Centre
You think the physicians deal with you respectfully.
You feel as if you’re in safe hands with the physicians.

Lowest scores

Privacy for personal talks and conversations about medical matters
Information on living wills and end-of-life questions

What now?

Both the Dialysis Team and the Quality Control Unit will work on your feedback. We hope to develop several concrete actions that will respond to the most common questions and comments.

What else will we keep in mind?

Overall, the patients were satisfied to very satisfied with the care provided at the various dialysis centres. We’re happy to hear this!
The patients who use the external transport, however, indicate that they are not always satisfied with the service.
Though we are only able to have a limited impact on the transport services, as a hospital, we remain committed to establishing clear communications with the external services. We gather reports on any issues with transport and, in order to provide better services, periodically consult with the transport services concerned.
As the patients, you have indicated that we do not always introduce ourselves as care providers. Therefore, it is not always clear who to turn to with your questions.
The hospital-wide campaign 'I'll introduce myself' is already underway. For this campaign, we're encouraging staff members to introduce themselves to patients and relatives by stating their name and job position. We also want to make an extra effort regarding our dialysis services. You can help by talking to us when you’re not sure about who is at your bedside and what he or she is doing.
Some of you think there’s room for improvement in your experience of the waiting room, as well as the wait during dialysis.