Health EconomicsThe management of renal failure is disproportionately costly compared to other medical conditions.
As the number of patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) steadily increases, it is imperative to identify treatments to meet the projected demand that are both clinically beneficial and cost-effective.
Hospitals and satellite units are the most common haemodialysis treatment sites.
In the UK only 2% of RRT patients currently receive HD at home; the global figure is just 0.4% (Nephrol Dial Transplant, 2005, pp 2587–2593).
The reduced direct cost of home or self -care haemodialysis is influenced by:
- Savings in nursing resource
- Savings in hospital transport
Other positive economic impacts of Home HD:
Improved quality of life
Patients receiving home-based HD report better quality of life than those who have HD in hospital. This is associated with:
• Reduced time burden, travelling to and from dialysis centres
• Increased use of short daily dialysis regimes or nocturnal dialysis
• Treatment times fit with individual patient life-style
• Patients feeling better
• Less clinical complications - improved survival
A viable and economic self care haemodialysis service needs to address these issues and provide a holistic approach to support that meets the needs of both the patient and the service provider. This will facilitate the creation of a new or expanded dialysis service and encourage the uptake of haemodialysis at self care centres or at the patients home. |
