Satellite Healthcare Develops Program to Safely Transition Patients to Dialysis at Home

Study reveals dialysis staff’s role to help patients thrive on peritoneal dialysis

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Satellite Healthcare, a non-profit, top-rated provider of kidney dialysis and related patient services, unveiled a pilot study at ASN Kidney Week 2021 today that enables dialysis patients to safely transition to home-based peritoneal dialysis (PD), and to maintain this therapy through events that would otherwise require them to transition to in-center hemodialysis.

The pilot study, entitled Feasibility of a Staff-Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis Program in the United States - Results of a Pilot Study is the first multi-center implementation of assisted PD in the U.S. Involving 32 patients and 358 visits, it demonstrates how dialysis staff worked with patients and their families to build problem-solving skills and self-confidence, and to arrange a safe home environment to enable patients to successfully dialyze at home without staff assistance.

90% of the patients who received this support were discharged on PD independent of staff assistance.

The study concludes that staff-assisted PD can help patients transition to and remain on PD. These programs, with non-nurse healthcare staff, can be successful and operationally feasible.

“Staff-assisted peritoneal dialysis is in place as standard of care in many countries, but not in the United States,” said Dr. Brigitte Schiller, Satellite Healthcare’s Chief Medical Officer. “Our pilot study is relevant to any patient or family member considering home dialysis because it shows that an assisted PD program is feasible and can help overcome barriers to self-care for those who wish to dialyze at home.”

Assisted PD programs are well-aligned with the Advancing American Kidney Health (AAKH) initiative’s focus on promoting home dialysis use, as well as new dialysis reimbursement models. “We believe that assisted home dialysis provides the needed momentum to improving access to high-quality home dialysis care, addressing health and socio-economic disparities in our communities,” said Wael Hussein, MD, VP of Research and Development at Satellite Healthcare.

Satellite Healthcare is presenting two additional posters at ASN Kidney Week 2021, centered on studying and improving home dialysis care:

• Identifying Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis at High Risk of Transfer to Hemodialysis Using a Modified “Surprise Question”
  This study describes Satellite Healthcare’s development of an innovative tool to evaluate the PD patient’s risk of needing to transition to hemodialysis (previously known as “technique failure”) using a PD “surprise question”.

• Evaluation and Measurement Properties of a Patient-Reported Experience Measure for Home Dialysis, a University of Washington study presented by Dr. Matt Rivara and funded and supported by Satellite Healthcare, reports on the development and validation of a home dialysis patient survey to evaluate the experience of home dialysis patients. This research is on track to produce a standardized and validated tool comparable to the existing surveys for center dialysis..

Satellite Healthcare has attained the country’s highest rate of home dialysis usage among patients with end stage kidney disease, with approximately 20 percent of its patients receiving dialysis at home.

About Satellite Healthcare

Satellite Healthcare, Inc., has been among the nation's leading non-profit providers of kidney dialysis, and related services since 1974. Through its affiliated services, Satellite WellBound, Satellite Dialysis, and Satellite Research, Satellite Healthcare provides unparalleled early patient wellness education, personalized clinical services, and a complete range of dialysis therapy choices. In addition, Satellite Healthcare has a well-recognized, mission of “making life better for those living with kidney disease”, an enduring commitment to philanthropy and community service, from funding millions of dollars in research grants to sponsoring kidney programs nationwide. Satellite Healthcare is committed to advancing the standard of chronic kidney disease care through innovation and research so patients can enjoy better health and live a better life. For more information, visit satellitehealthcare.com.