First drugs ever approved for lupus nephritis
The Ohio State Division of Nephrology has launched a new initiative to improve the transition process for patients starting kidney dialysis and to give patients more choice in home dialysis therapies.
“An ideal dialysis program would empower patients with kidney failure to achieve their full potential while enjoying a longer, healthier life,” says Anil Agarwal, MD.
Dr. Agarwal believes that dialysis at home, including peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis, achieves this goal better, as compared to in-center hemodialysis.
Traditionally, both home modalities have been underutilized.
“Patients are frequently not able to make a choice due to the complex and fragmented nature of transition to dialysis – whether inpatient or outpatient,” explains Dr. Agarwal. “Erratic transition results in twice the risk of mortality for a new dialysis patient.”
To promote a patient’s successful transition to dialysis, our new model uses an algorithmic initiative designed to:
-
Personalize dialysis to the patient’s needs.
-
Institute personnel and procedures to expedite patient education about dialysis.
-
Offer a wide variety of dialysis therapies – urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis and in-center dialysis.
The cornerstone of this choice-of-therapy model emphasizes:
-
Shared decision making between patients and clinicians about dialysis
-
A treatment choice aligned to the patient’s lifestyle
This novel model for transitional dialysis care was launched under the leadership of Drs. Agarwal, Dan Spetie and Khaled Boobes. Outcomes will be tracked and have potential to create a new paradigm in transitional dialysis care.
