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Systematic review of the effectiveness of home versus hospital or satellite unit hemodialysis for people with end-stage renal failure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2004

Graham Mowatt
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
Luke Vale
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
Alison MacLeod
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
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Abstract

Background: Home hemodialysis offers potential advantages over hospital hemodialysis, including the opportunity for more frequent and/or longer dialysis sessions. Expanding home hemodialysis services may help cope with the increasing numbers of people requiring hemodialysis.

Methods: We sought comparative studies or systematic reviews of home versus hospital/satellite unit hemodialysis for people with end-stage renal failure (ESRF). Outcomes included quality of life and survival. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, HealthSTAR, CINAHL, PREMEDLINE, and BIOSIS. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the studies included.

Results: Twenty-seven studies of variable quality were included. People on home hemodialysis generally experienced a better quality of life and lived longer than those on hospital hemodialysis. Their partners, however, found home hemodialysis more stressful. Four studies using a Cox proportional hazards model to compare home with hospital hemodialysis reported a lower mortality risk for home hemodialysis. Of two studies using a Cox model to compare home with satellite unit hemodialysis, one reported a similar mortality risk, whereas the other reported a lower mortality risk for home hemodialysis.

Conclusions: Home hemodialysis was generally associated with better outcomes than hospital hemodialysis and (more modestly so) satellite unit hemodialysis, in terms of quality of life, survival, and other measures of effectiveness. People on home hemodialysis, however, are a highly selected group. Home hemodialysis also provides the opportunity for more frequent and/or longer dialysis sessions than would otherwise be possible. It is difficult to disentangle the true effects of home hemodialysis from such influencing factors.

Information

Type
GENERAL ESSAYS
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press
Figure 0

Primary Studies Reporting Percentage of Participants with Diabetes

Figure 1

Primary Studies Reporting Duration and Frequency of Hemodialysis

Figure 2

Quality of Life: Summary of Results of Studies Comparing Home with Hospital or Satellite Unit Hemodialysis

Figure 3

Survival: Summary of Results of Studies Comparing Home with Hospital or Satellite Unit Hemodialysis