Peritoneal videodialysis: first Italian audit.

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Medical Technology
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Videodialysis (VD) was developed in 2001 to support peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.
• Its applications expanded to include caregiver guidance (VD-Caregiver), clinical follow-up (VD-Clinical), transport logistics (VD-Transport), and patient training (VD-Training).
• Since 2017, multiple centers have adopted VD with diverse modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit the use and outcomes of Videodialysis (VD) across various centers.
• To analyze patient characteristics, reasons for VD use, and VD-related outcomes.
• To evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and satisfaction associated with different VD applications.

Main Methods:

• An audit was conducted in February 2021, collecting data from 6 centers using VD by December 31, 2020.
• Data included patient demographics, primary and secondary reasons for VD use (including nursing home patients), and VD outcomes.
• Outcomes measured were duration, dropout rates, peritonitis incidence, and patient/caregiver satisfaction (scale 1-10).

Main Results:

• VD was used by 54 patients (mean age 71.8 years, 53.7% male, 61.1% CAPD, 70.3% Assisted PD) across 6 centers.
• The primary use was VD-Training (70.4%), particularly for self-care patients (93.8%).
• No peritonitis cases were reported, and patient/caregiver satisfaction averaged 8.4±1.4, with VD-Training always completed successfully.

Conclusions:

• Videodialysis is a versatile, effective, and safe tool for managing dialysis patients.
• Its flexible modalities allow adaptation to specific center needs and patient complexities.
• VD demonstrates high patient and caregiver satisfaction and a favorable safety profile.