A brief history of home hemodialysis

Abstract

Home hemodialysis for the treatment of end-stage renal disease was first developed in the early 1960s. Because of the benefits and cost-effectiveness, this modality of treatment was increasingly used; by 1973, when the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Program began, approximately 40% of all dialysis patients in the United States were on home hemodialysis. Since then, both the percentage and the number of patients on this treatment has steadily decreased, and such patients now comprise approximately 1.3% of the US dialysis population. Nevertheless, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in home hemodialysis, particularly related to reports of excellent results with daily home hemodialysis and the development of new equipment specifically designed for use in the home. Thus, this modality of treatment may be used more widely in the near future.