Home haemodialysis in Australia - is the wheel turning full circle?

Med J Aust. 2010 Apr 5;192(7):403-6. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03565.x.

Abstract

In the mid 1970s, home haemodialysis accounted for nearly half of all patients on dialysis, both in Australia and elsewhere. The advent of both peritoneal dialysis (itself a home therapy) and satellite haemodialysis resulted in a gradual attrition in the use of home haemodialysis. Since 2000, the introduction of nocturnal home haemodialysis has begun to change this pattern in Australia, with a sharp growth in the uptake of home haemodialysis. Home haemodialysis, which enables longer hours and more frequent treatments than facility-based (hospital or satellite centre) dialysis, appears to offer improved patient outcomes in observational studies; randomised studies are necessary to confirm these findings. Home haemodialysis is also a cheaper form of therapy than facility-based dialysis. As newer, simpler and more user-friendly equipment is emerging that will make home haemodialysis even more accessible and attractive to the consumer, we believe that this trend toward a greater uptake of home haemodialysis should and will continue.

MeSH terms

  • Australia
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Hemodialysis, Home / economics
  • Hemodialysis, Home / methods
  • Hemodialysis, Home / mortality
  • Hemodialysis, Home / trends*
  • Humans
  • Kidney Transplantation
  • Survival Rate