Quality standard

Quality statement 5: Home‑based dialysis

Quality statement

Adults who need long‑term dialysis are offered home‑based dialysis.

Rationale

When dialysis is needed long term it is important to offer home-based dialysis. People should be supported to consider the pros and cons of different treatment options and the potential impact on their lifestyle so that they can make an informed choice.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that adults on long‑term dialysis are offered the option of home‑based dialysis.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example job description for the role of clinical champion to promote home-based dialysis.

Process

Proportion of adults on long‑term dialysis have a recorded discussion about the option of home‑based dialysis.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who have a recorded discussion about the option of home-based dialysis.

Denominator – the number of adults on long‑term dialysis.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (specialist renal centres) ensure that systems are in place to offer home‑based dialysis to adults on long‑term dialysis.

Healthcare professionals (such as nephrologists and renal nurses) ensure that they review people on long‑term dialysis, offer them home‑based dialysis and provide support to help them make an informed decision.

Commissioners ensure that they commission services that offer adults on long‑term dialysis the opportunity to choose home‑based dialysis.

Adults on long‑term dialysis are offered the option of having dialysis at home, which they can carry out by themselves. They should be supported to consider the pros and cons before they make a decision.