A personalized card created with the help of a dialysis nurse gave people receiving hemodialysis a tangible way to share their values, wishes and experiences, according to a 2026 interview study in Japan.
The study involved 21 people receiving hemodialysis at one hospital in Gunma Prefecture. Researchers interviewed each person during dialysis, then produced a folded Life Story Card containing details about what mattered to them, a meaningful picture or illustration and a short message from a caring nurse.
Participants described the cards as keepsakes and as tools for communication. Some used them to explain treatment or hospitalization wishes to staff, while others showed family members what they had been going through.
Patients reviewed and approved their cards
The interviews generally lasted 60 to 90 minutes. Patients were able to review the draft, correct or remove information, and give final approval before the card was completed.
After receiving the cards, participants took part in one or two follow-up interviews lasting 50 to 90 minutes. All 21 people completed the study. The group included 13 men and 8 women, with an average age of about 67 and an average dialysis duration of about seven years.
Researchers used reflexive thematic analysis. Their review identified 315 codes, seven subthemes and three broader themes.
A record of identity and effort
Participants said the cards helped them feel supported and gave them a lasting record of parts of their lives. They also described recognizing their previous efforts in self-care and thinking more positively about the future.
For people whose treatment is a regular part of life, the cards offered a way to communicate beyond clinical information. They brought together personal history, current concerns and messages of care in a format that could be revisited or shared.
The approach was designed to be brief and practical enough for regular dialysis nurses, rather than requiring the specialized training used in a cited dignity-therapy trial.
What the study does—and does not—show
The findings describe how participants experienced the cards. They do not show that the cards reduced depression or anxiety, or improved quality of life.
There was no control group, and the researchers did not use symptom scales to measure mental health. It is also unknown whether any positive effects continued beyond the period soon after participants received the cards.
The study took place at one facility and included only 21 people, so its findings may not apply to all dialysis patients. Participants may also have felt pressure to respond positively because the cards came from nurses and the people who created them conducted the follow-up interviews. The researchers noted that long-standing relationships with dialysis staff and reluctance to express feelings in Japanese care settings may also have influenced responses.
Why emotional support matters in dialysis care
Depressive symptoms are common among people receiving dialysis. The source cites a 2013 meta-analysis that found depression in 22.8% of patients when assessed through clinical interviews and elevated depressive symptoms in 39.3% when assessed with self-report questionnaires.
Japan had 343,508 people receiving chronic dialysis at the end of 2023, and about 97% were receiving hemodialysis. That scale makes accessible forms of emotional and person-centered support relevant, while not making the results of this small study more conclusive.
Other research cited in the source has found that reminiscence interventions can produce moderate improvements in depressive symptoms and small-to-moderate improvements in anxiety. A 2019 Cochrane review reported that cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise and relaxation techniques probably reduce depressive symptoms in dialysis patients, while counseling may help slightly; evidence for other approaches was weak. A 2026 randomized trial in China also found that culturally adapted dignity therapy, added to routine psychological care, reduced dignity-related distress compared with routine care alone.
Those findings concern different interventions and should not be taken as evidence that Life Story Cards have the same effects. The Japanese researchers called for standardized procedures and randomized trials with longer follow-up to determine whether the cards produce measurable psychological benefits.
For now, the study’s clearest contribution is practical: it shows how a carefully reviewed personal story can help some dialysis patients communicate what matters to them and feel seen within ongoing medical care.
AI tools were used to assist with the preparation of this article.
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