Dialysis Decisions (DD) V 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Dialysis Decisions: A preliminary qualitative study on patient decisions when considering options for renal replacement therapy.
IRAS ID
236943
Contact name
Ashar Wadoodi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St Georges University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 22 days
Research summary
Patients diagnosed with end stage renal failure may require dialysis which is the process of cleaning the blood of toxins and returning cleaned blood as a substitute for the normal function of the kidneys. The dialysis options available to patients are haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). PD is achieved via the insertion of an external catheter into the abdominal cavity. There are several different ways to access HD; via a line, fistula or graft. HD via a line is achieved through an artificial tube placed in a large vein above the heart or in the neck. A fistula is the surgical creation of a circuit, using the patient’s own blood vessels and a graft is a fistula made out of artificial material.
Patients are encouraged to participate in the decision-making regarding their treatment with the help of medical professionals. Medical studies have shown that a native fistula is the optimum choice for long-term effective access to dialysis, followed closely by the graft. They have better outcomes such as lower infection risk, better quality of dialysis and longer length of treatment sustainability. The Renal Association recommends that 65% of the incidence population start dialysis via a fistula or a graft and 85% of the prevalent population should dialyse via a fistula/graft. Despite this, the UK has a higher rate of catheter usage than other countries which goes against current medical advice. There is little research that specifically investigates patients understanding of treatment options and how these decisions are made.
This study aims to explore the dialysis patient’s treatment decision making process through a structured interview of 10 – 20 dialysis patients. The aim is to explore how they navigated their treatment and identify any common facilitators or barriers that inform their treatment decisions which may provide insight into current preferences.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0087
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion