Knowledge of Home Dialysis Among Inner‐City Satellite Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

There is limited use of home renal replacement therapies in the U.S.A. One percent of dialysis patients are on home hemodialysis (HHD) and only 9% undergo peritoneal dialysis (PD). In an effort to better understand this, 161 satellite hemodialysis patients in 6 units in Brooklyn were surveyed. Forty-eight percent of patients were women, 86% were black, 5% white, 8% Hispanic, and 1% other. Mean age was 49.4 years (range 22 - 69 years). Etiology of renal disease was hypertension (41%), diabetes mellitus (31%), polycystic kidney disease (3%), systemic lupus erythematosus (4%), and other or unknown (21%). Patients were queried about knowledge of and attitudes toward home therapies. Seventy-nine percent of patients knew of home dialysis. The source of this information was the nephrologist (59%), the social worker (14%), a nurse (8%), other patients (4%), and other sources (15%). Only 10% of patients had ever considered HHD. Fifty-four percent were afraid to do self-care at home and 35% were not interested. Surprisingly, only 3% felt they had no reliable helper and 8% felt that their housing was not suitable. Similarly, 78% of patients had been spoken to about PD, but only 11% had considered it. Forty-one percent were afraid of doing self-care on PD, and 45% were not interested. We conclude that, although the majority of patients in six inner-city dialysis units had heard of home dialysis, only a small number ever considered it. As many patients were afraid of doing home therapy, better education about the risks and benefits needs to be disseminated.