The use of community nurses for home peritoneal dialysis: is it cost-effective?

In the late 1970s, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis was first introduced as a mode of treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. Since that time many patients, themselves or with the help of family members, have routinely performed the therapy at home. There are now 2935 home peritoneal dialysis patients in Canada (36% of the total dialysis population). Today, however, the average patient on dialysis is likely to be older and have other complicating illnesses; moreover, patients may live alone, or have family members who are working. Over the past three years, through the use of innovative assistive devices and strong educational links with community nursing agencies, we have been able to manage peritoneal dialysis patients with complex needs in the home. We performed a retrospective analysis of 18 patients, with severe comorbid conditions, who were managed in the home with the help of community nurses. We will show that this is an economic, efficient, and effective method of caring for home dialysis patients with severe disabilities. Home care agencies need our support so that they can continue to help us manage the complex peritoneal dialysis patient in the 1990s.