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Savings in Dialysis Treatment?
Author(s) -
Klefter Romana,
Nielsen Bent
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1594.2002.6882_1.x
Subject(s) - dialysis , intensive care medicine , medicine , rationing , referral , population , consumption (sociology) , surgery , economics , environmental health , health care , nursing , economic growth , social science , sociology
The steadily increasing number of dialysis patients prompts considerations on possibilities for budget reductions with maintenance of treatment quality. A literature survey is presented concerning trends of population increase, individual treatment costs, rationing of patient intake, and consequences of delayed progress of renal insufficiency as well as of savings during both the initial and the later phases of regular dialysis therapy. Cost reduction in one area may well induce rising total budgets and influence clinical outcome. A multidisciplinary approach is suggested to obtain answers to several questions: Can the economic burden of the changing patient demography be counterbalanced by a reorganized staff structure? Will early referral, good predialysis control, and incremental dialysis start imply longer survival? Will increased dialysis doses be economically neutralized by less staff requirements, drug consumption, and patient morbidity? Should dialyzer reuse be abandoned? Can pretransplant dialysis periods be reduced or omitted by improved planning?