Feedback from two patients treated with daily home hemodialysis (DHH) with autonomous water treatment

Abstract

Summary

Our hospital has long offered peritoneal dialysis (PD) to enable patients to maintain their independence while continuing with their daily activities. Recently, we introduced daily home hemodialysis (DHH) with the NxStage® cycler and the Pureflow® system, a new system for preparing dialysate from running water, making it easier to manage the necessary equipment. This initiative began in October 2023 with the training of two patients, who then began their treatment at home.

The impact of this change was assessed by interviews based on a quality-of-life evaluation grid, gathering the patients’ experiences. We report the testimonies of the first two patients, Mr. J and Mrs. S, who shared their positive experiences, noting an improvement in their fatigue and sleep as well as better integration into their family and social lives. Mrs. S was able to adapt her dialysis sessions to her family’s schedule, while Mr. J regained a certain degree of autonomy and improved his physical condition despite some challenges linked to his daily dialysis routine.

These testimonials highlight the improvement in patients’ quality of life thanks to home dialysis, particularly in terms of reduced fatigue, improved sleep, and reduced pain. The transition to daily home hemodialysis,(DHH) has been well accepted, with patients appreciating the flexibility and adaptability of dialysis to their home environment. This positive experience encourages our department to continue offering DHH as an advantageous alternative for the management of renal failure, emphasizing the importance of quality of life in the choice of dialysis techniques.