Remote Monitoring of Automated Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: Assessing Clinical and Economic Value

Abstract

Background: For chronic kidney disease patients who progress to end-stage renal disease, survival is dependent on renal replacement therapy in the form of kidney transplantation or chronic dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis (PD), which can be performed at home, is both more convenient and less costly than hemodialysis that requires three 4-h visits per week to the dialysis facility and complicated equipment. Remote therapy management (RTM), technologies that collect medical information and transmit it to healthcare providers for patient management, has the potential to improve the outcomes of patients receiving automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) at home.

Objective: Estimate through a simulation study the potential impact of RTM on APD patients use of healthcare resources and costs in the United States, Germany, and Italy.

Methods: Twelve APD patient profiles were developed to reflect potential clinical scenarios of APD therapy. Two versions of each profile were created to simulate healthcare resource use, one assuming use of RTM and one with no RTM. Eleven APD teams (one nephrologist, one nurse) estimated resources that would be used.

Results: Results from U.S., German, and Italian clinicians found that RTM could avoid use of 59, 49, and 16 resources over the 12 profiles, respectively. Estimated reduced utilization across the three countries ranged from one to two hospitalizations, one to four home visits, two to five emergency room visits, and four to eight unplanned clinic visits. Total savings across all scenarios were $23,364 in the United States, $11,477 in Germany, and $7,088 in Italy.

Conclusion: In a simulated environment, early intervention enabled by RTM reduced healthcare resource utilization and associated costs.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease; economics; end-stage renal disease; peritoneal dialysis; remote therapy management; telemedicine.