The Implementation of a Virtual Home Dialysis Mentoring Program for Nephrologists

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Medical Education
• Telehealth

Background:

• Home dialysis offers numerous patient benefits but faces challenges in widespread adoption.
• Physician education and mentorship are critical for increasing home dialysis utilization.
• Virtual platforms present a novel approach to delivering medical education and mentorship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a virtual mentorship program for physicians regarding home dialysis.
• To evaluate the program's impact on physicians' perspectives on prescribing home dialysis.
• To identify the need for further research on virtual mentorship's effect on home dialysis incidence and attrition.

Main Methods:

• A virtual mentorship program was implemented for physicians interested in home dialysis.
• Participant perceptions of the program's influence on their prescribing habits were collected.
• Data analysis focused on feasibility and perceived changes in perspective.

Main Results:

• The virtual home dialysis physician mentorship program was found to be feasible.
• A significant majority, 53% of participants, believed the program would alter their views on prescribing home dialysis.
• The study highlighted the need for more research.

Conclusions:

• Virtual mentorship is a viable strategy for educating physicians about home dialysis.
• The program shows potential in influencing physician attitudes towards home dialysis prescription.
• Larger-scale research is necessary to validate the impact of virtual mentorship on home dialysis uptake and patient retention.