Dialysis Modalities for the Treatment of End-Stage Kidney Disease: A Review

According to Canadian Institute for Health Information data, an estimated 24,114 Canadians were being treated with dialysis in 2013, with an increasing number of patients being initiated on long-term dialysis every year. While home-based dialysis options (HD and PD) and other dialysis delivery models (i.e., self‑care in-centre hemodialysis [ICHD], assisted PD and home HD) may achieve similar clinical results for eligible patients and may be less costly than conventional ICHD, the most frequently used modality in all provinces remains ICHD. Based on the potential comparable clinical effectiveness, cost savings, and the potential that non-conventional ICHD dialysis modalities may be more desirable from a patient and caregiver perspective, it is often argued that home dialysis modalities, particularly PD, may be underused among eligible patients in Canada.