Selection of Peritoneal Dialysis or Hemodialysis for Kidney Failure: Gaining Meaningful Information for Patients and Caregivers (2013-2015)

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Funded by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

Funding Years: 2013 - 2015.

Every year, more than 100,000 patients start dialysis to treat kidney failure in the United States. Two types of dialysis are available: hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). HD is done with a machine in a dialysis clinic. PD can be done at home, if the patient or family is willing to perform his or her dialysis treatments. In general, patients survive as long on HD as they do on PD. Based on specific clinical parameters and a patient’s needs, one of the two dialysis types is usually going to be a better fit for a given patient. For example, older patients may not want to be responsible for performing their own treatment, and HD may be a better fit for them. On the other hand, PD may be a better choice for patients who want to be able to travel. The challenge for patients with kidney failure is to identify the dialysis type that best fits their lifestyle. However, there is very little information regarding factors that are important to patients starting dialysis, and often patients choose a dialysis type without fully understanding how it will impact their lives. Patients and their families need more information to be able to make better decisions. PD use is much lower in the United States than in other countries, perhaps reflecting the fact that many patients are not given appropriate information regarding this type of dialysis. Given recent financial pressure on kidney doctors to treat more patients with PD, it is even more important that patients receive better information when making a decision regarding dialysis type. The goal of this study is to identify factors that matter the most to patients with kidney disease and study how they are impacted by different types of dialysis. To understand what is most important to them, we will interview more than 130 patients with kidney disease, some before and some after they start dialysis. We will compare factors reported as important across different types of patients; for example, among men and women, or among those who work outside of the house and those who do not. Using the infrastructure of an existing study of more than 6,800 dialysis patients, we will compare factors identified during the interviews between patients treated with HD and PD. Based on these results, we will develop a Web site presenting information on kidney disease and questions on personal preferences, which will help patients understand which dialysis type is better for them. Results from our study will provide practical information regarding the choice of dialysis type to patients with kidney disease and their families. Patients who are better informed will be able to identify and choose the best dialysis type for their lifestyle and needs. Providing scientific evidence to help patients in their decision process is of great importance, especially at such a stressful time in their lives.

PI(s): Angela Fagerlin, Laurie Lachance, Yi Li, Julie Wright