Why home

Why reconsider the chair?

Because the option to choose home dialysis, like PD, is beneficial to patients and supported by outcomes. Changes in reimbursement policy make home programs more viable than ever for dialysis facilities and nephrologists. These facts are important in light of current trends in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

More ESRD patients, fewer resources

By 2020, ESRD patient prevalence is expected to exceed 770,000, a 15-fold rise since 1980.1 The rapid rise in ESRD cases is straining resources at a time when fewer doctors are specializing in nephrology2 and half of U.S. nephrologists are projected to retire in the next 20 years.2

The burden of those changes falls directly on dialysis facilities. Nearly half of U.S. facilities are reaching full capacity,3 while the shortage of registered nurses is expected to reach one million by 2020.4

Medicare is likely to be spending $54 billion annually on ESRD treatment by 2020.5 Already, in 2007, ESRD patients represented 1% of the total Medicare population, but 5.8% of Medicare costs.1

Peritoneal Dialysis options, outcomes and opportunities

There is a solution that benefits payers, providers and patients: Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reimbursement bundle no longer penalizes PD for being a lower-cost therapy. Kidney Disease Education (KDE) will be reimbursable at earlier stages. And outcomes for PD patients continually improve year after year. Shifting patients home on PD could:

  • Extend 9,250 lives* in their first year of dialysis6
  • Save $295 million annually with only a 5% shift7
  • Save 6,800 hospitalizations** annually from dialysis-related infections6

Learn more about the advantages of home dialysis for your patients and your practice or your facility.
* Data derived from United States Renal Data System (USRDS); based on shifting all incident Hemodialysis (HD) patients to PD
** Data derived from USRDS; based on shifting all prevalent HD patients to PD
 
1 USRDS 2009 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, Vol. 2, 2009; 174–417, U.S. Renal Data System.
2 Bizzozero, Judie. Is there a nephrologist in the house? Renal Business Today. October 2009; 4:14–18.
3 ESRD Network Data, 2006; Center for Medicare and Medicaid services.
4 What Is Behind HRSA’s Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortage of Registered Nurses, September 2004; First Consulting Group, Projections based on HRSA; available at http://www.fcg.com.
5 USRDS 2007 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, Fig. 2.33, 2007; U.S. Renal Data System.
6 USRDS 2008 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, Vol. 2, 2008; 1-264, U.S. Renal Data System.
7 Conditions for Coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities; Final Rule. Federal Register 73, 15 Apr. 2008: 20370- 20484; Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Home dialysis is beneficial for patients and supported by outcomes.

Learn more about the advantages of home dialysis for your patients and your practice or your facility.