Transportation Burden Associated With Hemodialysis in Canada: A Qualitative Study of Stakeholders

Lewis, Reed S.; Bohm, Clara; Fraser, Francis R.; Fraser, Robert; Woytkiw, Lee; Jurgutis, Sylvia; Rubin, Melissa; Smith, Gordon S.; Buenafe, Jeann; Hutton, James

doi:10.1016/j.xkme.2022.100571

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In much of North America, the responsibility for travel to and from dialysis treatments falls largely to patients and their families and a range of other public and private agencies that are poorly equipped to meet the substantial transportation needs of members of this population. 13–15 In the United States, the Medicare ESKD program, which is the principal payer for maintenance dialysis services in the United States, has not traditionally paid for routine transportation to and from dialysis. According to one survey conducted among 262 nephrology social workers from across the United States, approximately half of patients who rely on in-center hemodialysis do not have their own means of transportation to and from dialysis centers.…”

Section: Payment For Nonemergency Transportation For Dialysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complex Patchwork of Transportation for In-Center Hemodialysis

Tian,

Hall,

Griffin

et al. 2023

JASN

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reliable transportation is an important determinant of access to health care and health outcomes that carries particular significance for people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In the US, there are almost half a million patients receiving treatment with in-center dialysis, translating into more than 70 million roundtrips to dialysis centers annually. Difficulty with transportation can interfere with patients’ quality of life and contribute to missed or shortened dialysis treatments, increasing their risk for hospitalization. Medicare, the principal payer for dialysis in this country, has not traditionally provided coverage for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), placing the burden of travelling to and from the dialysis center on patients and families and a range of other private and public entities that were not designed, and are poorly equipped for this purpose. Here, we review the relationship between access to reliable transportation and health outcomes such as missed and shortened dialysis treatments, hospitalizations, and quality of life. We also describe current approaches to the delivery of transportation for patients receiving in-center hemodialysis, highlighting potential opportunities for improvement.

show abstract

Section: Payment For Nonemergency Transportation For Dialysismentioning

confidence: 99%