Home Dialysis Central update
[Vol.7, No.2, February 19, 2010]
Happy February! The National Guard and volunteers are helping snowbound Easterners get to dialysis, so it sure shows the value of treatments at home. Share the gift of options with items from our Home Dialysis Central store!
Next FREE webinar: Our expert, Dr. Agar, returns! Join us February 24
Which way should needles go in an HD fistula or graft? Learn what Dr. Agar thinks. Join us at 8pm Central. Win door prizes from our Helpful Products Catalog, too. Seats are limited. Register today!
Did you miss our last webinar on setting up your home for PD or home HD? Watch the recording: scroll down to the webinars on www.homedialysis.org.
For nurses ONLY: New email listservs for PD and home HD
We've started two new email listservs, one just for PD nurses and one just for home HD nurses to give them a better chance to bounce ideas, share tips, and learn from others. Sign up today!
New home treatment coverage maps
We've rebuilt our "Find a clinic" database behind the scenes. For you: All new coverage maps for each type of home treatment. These are now generated from the data, not built by hand (dot by dot), so they'll be updated much more often, too. Check them out!
Can't find your clinic? Let us know!
ESRD Network 15 sends out 350 Home Dialysis Central DVDs
What's a great way to share home options? A DVD is worth a million words. Network 15, which serves AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, and WY, is sending Home Dialysis: Your Life, Your Choice to all of its clinics as part of a mailing about treatment options. Western American dialyzors will know about home treatments!
Nephrologists support payment for more than 3x/week HD
"Daily dialysis improves health status and quality of life," says a new policy statement from the Renal Physician's Association (RPA). The statement asks Congress to direct Medicare to pay for more frequent HD. Go RPA—this sort of statement could help make a difference. Read it here.
"We can do better" - nephrologists urge more HD
Remember the Boston Conference in April, 2009, where influential MDs wrote to Medicare asking for better treatment? They're back, this time with an editorial. One recommendation they make is "longer and perhaps more frequent dialysis." Read the editorial.
Supporting home dialysis care partners
Dr. Linda Gromko, who did our last webinar, has a blog series on her website about life as a care partner for her husband, who is on home HD. Learn her tips for supporting the care partner in YOUR life! (Watch for upcoming webinars on this topic, too.)
People want treatments that offer FREEDOM
A new study interviewed 52 people who were on one of 4 types of dialysis or had a transplant—and learned that "freedom, convenience, self-care, effectiveness, and simplicity" were important. (We could have told you that.) Read the abstract.
Freedom in action: Spreading the word about home
Rich Berkowitz, who helped organize the NxStage cruise that took place in January, was interviewed along with his nephrologist, Dr. Stuart Sprague, for the Skokie Review. Read the story.
NxStage nocturnal reaches New Zealand
This machine has really been traveling. Read about Lana Schmidt, who could barely walk across a room last month—and now works out in her home gym. How? HD at night while she sleeps. Read her story.
Extended catheters make PD possible for more people
For those who can't have an abdominal PD catheter, an "extended" (i.e., presternal) catheter that can exit in the chest can make PD work. A new study found 1, 2, and 3-year catheter success rates that were slightly lower than standard PD catheters. Read the abstract.
42% higher risk of death found with less-than-4-hour HD
Short standard in-center HD treatments done 3 times a week were linked with a much higher risk of death in a new study of 8,552 people. Of course, "further studies are needed...." Read the abstract.
Daily home HD put Jake back on the road
Traveling around the country in an RV to attend dog shows was a favorite activity for Jake and his wife. But standard in-center HD made that next to impossible. Short daily HD got them back on the dog show circuit. Read his story.
Topic of the month: Hitting below the belt? Home dialysis and sexuality
Kidney failure can wreak havoc with your sex life. But it doesn't have to! Your treatment choice can impact your mood, body image, energy level, and libido. Knowing how your choice may affect you can help you choose an option that will give you the best life possible. Read the article.
How does Medicare pay for home hemodialysis training?
Click here to learn the answers to this & other questions about Medicare payment for PD and home hemo.
Read all about it!
Review home dialysis-related news. This week's stories include:
- Modest loss of kidney function associated with faster decline in bone-mineral density
- NxStage's System One heading to Northern Europe
- Dialyzors planning second Freedom Cruise
- Even mild kidney disease harms a child's quality of life
Featured link: Nephrology Made Easy
Dr. John Agar has updated his popular Nephrology for Tiny Tots book for medical students and nephrology fellows. Now titled Nephrology Made Easy, the new book shares his wisdom and years of clinical experience. Just $25! Order here.