Almost anyone can have home therapy but can we overcome the barriers?

BACKGROUND

Home dialysis, including both peritoneal and haemodialysis, has been shown to improve patient wellbeing as well as being an economically beneficial alternative to hospital-based therapies.

OBJECTIVES

This paper discusses the major barriers to home therapies, particularly in relation to home haemodialysis (HHD) and systems that can be used to overcome them.

RESULTS

The use of HHD varies considerably between and within countries. The major limitation is lack of experience and education. A well-planned pre-dialysis education programme seems to be one essential key to the growth of home therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

Key points in providing a successful home therapy programme are a highly motivated multidisciplinary team including a dedicated nephrologist and high-level nursing expertise. In addition, an effective pre-dialysis education programme for identifying suitable patients is required.