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Telemedicine technologies offer vital kidney care to rural areas
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Barriers to delivering essential kidney care to remote areas in the United States can be overcome by implementing a telemedicine program in rural hospitals, according to findings presented at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2016.
According to researchers, 77% of rural counties in the U.S. lack dialysis facilities despite having dialysis rates similar to urban areas. Of 4,926 community hospitals in the U.S., 38% are designated as rural hospitals, and acute dialysis is not offered in two-thirds of these hospitals because there is a shortage of dialysis and/or renal providers, the researchers wrote.
Charuhas V. Thakar, MD, from the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues developed a tele-nephrology program that partnered a national dialysis provider (Dialysis Clinics Inc.) with a rural hospital (Meadowview Regional) in Maysville, Kentucky. Using the tele-nephrology program, they were able to administer more than 20 dialysis treatments to more than a dozen patients for conditions requiring medical, surgical or critical care. Sixty-seven percent of patients were successfully treated and discharged from the rural hospital. Now, patients with kidney and electrolyte disorders can receive other nephrology care 24/7 in addition to dialysis.
“This innovative patient-centered program plans to build a hub-and-spoke model for specialty care, and can be emulated nationally,” Thakar said in a press release. “Models need to examine clinical effectiveness and efficiency of telemedicine in nephrology in both acute and chronic settings to reduce the burden of travel to satellite dialysis units for providers, and thus make dialysis and renal care available in more proximity to patients.” – by Alaina Tedesco
Reference:
Thakar CV. Abstract 766. Presented at: American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week; Nov. 15-19, 2016; Chicago.
Disclosure: The researchers report receiving clinical revenue support.