Almost anyone can have home therapy but can we overcome the barriers?

Background: Home dialysis, including both peritoneal and haemodialysis, has been shown to improve patient wellbeing as well as being an economically beneficial alternative to hospital-based therapies.

Objective: This paper discusses the major barriers to home therapies, particularly in relation to home haemodialysis (HHD) and systems that can be used to overcome them.

Results: The use of HHD varies considerably between and within countries. The major limitation is lack of experience and education. A well-planned pre-dialysis education programme seems to be one essential key to the growth of home therapies.

Conclusions: Key points in providing a successful home therapy programme are a highly motivated multidisciplinary team including a dedicated nephrologist and high-level nursing expertise. In addition, an effective pre-dialysis education programme for identifying suitable patients is required.