RT Journal
A1 Mehrotra R, Chiu Y, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Bargman J, Vonesh E
T1 SImilar outcomes with hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2011
FD January 24
VO 171
IS 2
SP 110
OP 118
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.352
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2010.352
AB 
At the end of 2008, there were over 500 000 Americans living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).1 Even though patients with ESRD constitute less than 1% of the Medicare population, they account for 5.8% of the expenses for the program (excluding the costs for the prescription benefit).1For eligible subjects, renal transplant is associated with a higher life expectancy, better quality of life, and substantially lower long-term expenses compared with continued treatment with dialysis.1- 2 However, limited availability of organ donors means that most patients with ESRD are treated with dialysis for prolonged periods; in-center hemodialysis (HD) and home peritoneal dialysis (PD) are the 2 most common forms of dialysis therapy. In 2007, the annual, per-person costs for PD patients were almost $20 000 lower than that of HD patients; the substantial cost advantage for PD is robust even when data are adjusted for better health and higher rates of transfer to HD for PD patients.1,3 Recognizing the potential for cost savings, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has continued to provide financial incentives to promote greater use of PD. However, the relative use of PD for the treatment of ESRD has continued to decline, and in 2008, only 7% of dialysis patients were treated with this dialysis modality.1