Hi Dr Agar,
I am part of a group of graduate students conducting research into improving the penetrance of home peritoneal dialysis (PD) in low income areas. We have a new catheter technology that would contribute to the realisation of this goal and ultimately improve quality of life for patients suffering of chronic kidney disease.
We have a couple questions we are looking to have answered. I understand that you may not have the info required to answer all of them, but if you have any insights into even one of them, it would be greatly appreciated!
- What percentage of patients requiring dialysis would you estimate do not have access to it?
- What are the most common barriers to access to dialysis in low income or remote areas, in your opinion?
- In your experience, are patients receptive to home PD or do they prefer in-clinic dialysis? How receptive do you think nurses/patients would be to a new technique for PD catheter placement?
We’re also looking to create a few different “patient personas”, representing average dialysis patient in low-income communities and highlighting key elements of their experience
- Based on your experience, could you provide some examples of the average experience of low-income patients beginning dialysis?
- What do you think would be the best way to get in contact with nurses or patients who might be willing to talk to us about their experiences?
Thank you.