[Home hemodialysis]

Home hemodialysis (HHD) is the cornerstone of renal replacement therapy in Germany. From 1969, it enabled survival with a diagnosis that up to then had been fatal; however, with the development of a good network of dialysis centers, the knowledge and experience of HHD was increasingly lost. Today, HHD is practically no longer included in the education. Insufficient information and a lack of HHD services are the result. Currently, less than 0.8% of patients in Germany are treated with HHD. In the development of dialysis machines, the industry focused on stand-alone machines for the centers. This form of treatment hinders mobility and limits the activities of patients with renal insufficiency requiring dialysis. Starting with the Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative there has been a welcome momentum in the development of innovative, wearable and implantable artificial kidneys. This can improve the quality of life and reduce the mortality rate. The first initiatives have also emerged in Germany and Europe. These innovative devices and the associated transition in renal replacement therapy will solve many problems of the nephrology community, such as personnel shortages or the lack of donor organs and death on the waiting list and give patients independence and mobility. The cost burden on healthcare systems can be reduced. In addition, the immense water and electricity consumption will be dramatically reduced by the regenerative techniques of the new machines.