Socioeconomic and health-care policies and peritoneal dialysis

1. All ESRD treatments is expensive and a modality change adds considerably to that expense. 2. Ideally, the cost of ESRD therapy should be reported as the cost incurred for all aspects of the treatment to the health-care system. 3. Most studies show peritoneal dialysis to be less expensive than hemodialysis, but this can vary depending on the local costs of supplies and labor. 4. Strategic decisions with regard to new innovations should be made after a full analysis of all of the involved costs and savings that the innovation might introduce. 5. Economic factors and reimbursement rates appear to have an important impact on modality selection.