Patients Who Choose to Go Home are the Winners

It's the Seattle Seahawks playoff season, and in the northwest, Football is a force, where power and strength rule. To play it well, you need to be competent and capable, and have the ability, skill and talent to win!

In the renal community, patients who choose to go Home are the winners. They will live 61% longer than in-center patients, live better, and have fewer side effects following their dialysis at Home.

Many have the talent and aptitude to learn how to do dialysis at Home, whether Home Hemo, or Peritoneal dialysis. It's amazing how many people I've heard say "I could never do dialysis at home"..."I could never learn that"..."I could never put in my own needles", only to discover that after a dynamic in-center modality education, and Home training oversight, they give it a try, and succeed.

Wherever possible, dialysis programs should have a strong pre-ESRD modality education program, a more in-depth specific Home Hemo and PD education, and a Home orientation program for their physicians and staff. Regionalization is helpful too. In King county at Northwest Kidney Centers we decentralize our Home training programs, but everyone at NKC is/should be enthusiastic for the team on the field (home patients) and the coaches (the Home staff and MDs) who are helping them along. You need everyone involved in getting patients Home

Home patients have made the choice to do Home dialysis. They hold the power by deciding when and where to dialyze. It's on their time, at their convenience. They can sit back, and enjoy the playoffs in the comfort of their own home...go Hawks!